Harvey Weinstein was a big topic of conversation at the amFAR Gala Los Angeles on Friday, October 13, but the highlight of the night was a special performance by Chris Martin, who serenaded the night’s honoree, Julia Roberts.
The Coldplay singer sang “Pretty Woman,” as well as a sweet song called “Julia Roberts’ Smile.” Martin joked at the event sponsored by FIJI Water that he could be booked for bar mitzvahs and is cheap right now because he has nothing else to do.
He also dedicated his second song to Roberts and her husband, Danny Moder, declaring he is lucky enough to have seen them in sweatpants. Martin and host of the night, James Corden, also sang an impressive cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U” dedicated to Roberts — before Martin joked that his fellow Brit was a “great lover.”
Fergie also performed at the event to raise funds for AIDS research, singing, “I Got a Feeling” while The Notting Hill star, Bethenny Frankel and Selita Ebanks danced onstage alongside the singer.
Corden took a shot at disgraced studio head Weinstein — who was fired this week amid sexual harassment allegations — as soon as he stepped onstage at the party held at Ron Burkel’s Green Acres estate in Beverly Hills, California. “This is a beautiful room, it’s a beautiful night here in L.A. It’s so beautiful, Harvey Weinstein has already asked tonight up to his hotel to give him a massage,” the Late Late Show host quipped.
The comedian continued, “It has been weird this week, though, watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath.” Later Corden joked, “Harvey Weinstein wanted to come tonight, but sadly he’ll settle for whatever potted plant is closest.”
Sophia Bush spoke candidly to Us Weekly about joining Rose McGowan’s #BoycottTwitter campaign before the event began, saying, “I love anything that unites us to support each other, but I also think we’re in really dire straits right now. I took a couple hours off the Internet and then was like back at it with vengeance because there’s a lot of s–t we need to talk about.”
Michelle Rodriguez told Us that she has suffered in her career because of her unwillingness to “give in” to those who could have advanced her career. “I think we are going to have to link arms ourselves and do our own thing. And I’m just happy because it’s been so lonely for me,” she said. “I never thought there were other women out there that I can go work with and do really great projects with. I just always thought it was just the dudes and that’s the door you gotta go through. And unless they are cool with you, you might have to do some weird stuff with them and I’m just like not into that. It’s been very lonely and in between jobs, let’s just put it that way.”
