Earlier this week, People Magazine had an exclusive about Angelina Jolie and the Southern California wildfires. Basically, it was confirmation that Angelina has taken in friends and evacuees at her Los Feliz mansion, and that her kids have been volunteering with fire relief. People also mentioned that Angelina stopped by a World Central Kitchen hub and that she met some firefighters. I took all of it at face value – a lot of celebrities have donated their time, money and resources to fire relief, and many of those celebrities have flown under the radar while they’ve volunteered. Apparently, Angelina did pose for some photos with some fans while she volunteered, and now the Daily Mail is comparing Jolie to… the Duchess of Sussex. And they’re saying Meghan should try to be more like Angelina?
Angelina Jolie quietly helped out a Los Angeles charity as the city continues to burn from wildfires. The 49-year-old Oscar-winning actress wore casual clothing and her hair down with little makeup on as she pitched in with the World Central Kitchen. The ex-wife of Brad Pitt was seen at night next to several other female volunteers. Jolie did not seem to make a big deal about her volunteer work as she did not post about it on social media. It was a savvy move on her part as some other stars, like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, made sure their relief efforts became a photo op.
Jason Collis shared a photo of Jolie as he said: ‘Absolutely beyond proud of our incredible team—saying they’re doing God’s work is an understatement! Day and night, since day one we’re committed to supporting everyone impacted by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires in LA. Our hearts are with the community and the brave first responders on the front lines. We’ve served over 100,000 hot meals, thanks to the huge generosity of local food trucks and restaurant partners. In the face of devastation, there’s a beacon of light in the unity and kindness surrounding us all. Let’s keep this spirit of community alive! #chefsforcalifornia #LAStrong #EatonFire #PalisadesFire.
It was also noted that Longoria got her hands dirty. ‘Eva Longoria Baston stopped by WCK partner Tacos 1986 to pick up a nourishing lunch for crews in Pasadena working tirelessly to clean up the devastation caused by the Los Angeles fires,’ it was shared on the World Central Kitchen Facebook page. ‘She joined the National Day Laborer Organizing Network team—an organization that empowers day laborers, migrants and low-wage workers—as the community comes together to kickstart recovery. #ChefsForCalifornia.’
These sightings comes after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been slammed by Justine Bateman as ‘disaster tourists’ after they appeared volunteering during the LA wildfires.
Putting aside Justine Bateman’s unhinged commentary for a moment, I’m really struggling to understand what point the British media has been trying to make about Meghan and Harry’s volunteerism. Is the point just as simple as: Meghan and Harry should not appear on camera if they want to volunteer? Or are these people still trying to insist that the Sussexes invited the cameras or sought attention or posted selfies on their social media? Because none of that happened. There is no difference between what the Sussexes did and what Angelina Jolie did, other than it sounds like the Sussexes spent more time volunteering at WCK while Angelina (who is helpless in any kitchen) probably just dropped off supplies and asked what else they needed.
Angelina Jolie pictured @WCKitchen as she visited the organization last week in Los Angeles. Jolie visited the organization during the night, and helped distribute supplies to people affected by the fires in the city.
Angelina reportedly visited the firefighters at the… pic.twitter.com/4qazhnipgR
— Let Her Go ¯_(ツ)_/¯ (@angeltresjolie_) January 17, 2025
Photos courtesy of social media, Cover Images, Sky News and Fox’s LA affiliate.
