Philanthropist Melinda French Gates joined Olivia Rodrigo on stage at her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival and announced she’s matching the singer’s $10 million donation to 10 organizations dedicated to fighting for abortion access, women’s safety and their reproductive health.
“I really believe that giving women the tools to decide their own futures and live healthy lives free of violence and discrimination is the most effective tool we have at changing the world for the better,” the singer, 23, said before introducing French Gates, 62, ahead of the Rodrigo’s headlining set. “And I don’t know many people who represent the idea more than Melinda French Gates.”
Rodrigo continued, “Melinda is one of the most inspiring women I’ve ever met. She’s devoted her life to empowering women and girls that might have otherwise been forgotten. She’s generous and brave and has done so much good in this world, and I’m totally floored because as well as being in attendance here tonight, she’s pledge to double every dollar we made here today to a grand total of funds being donated to $20 million. I’m so grateful.”
Earlier, Rodrigo revealed the festival was donating $10 million to 10 charities in support of their work to expand access to abortion and other vital reproductive health and wellness care for those who want and need it. Baby2Baby, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, National Women’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood will all reportedly split the funds equally between themselves, per The Hollywood Reporter.
“The organizations we’ve partnered with are doing incredibly important work every single day in the U.S. and globally,” Rodrigo said in a Friday, August 28, press conference announcing the initial $10 million donation. “I’m so grateful to every person who bought a ticket, every artist who waived their fee, every sponsor for signing onto a brand new festival and every donation that helped get to $10 million dollars to support women and girls.”
Rodrigo has been a outspoken advocate of abortion rights and reproductive health in the wake of the Dobbs decision, the landmark 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned the Constitutional right to abortion access and left more than 15 states — and nearly 63 million women and girls — facing outright or severely strict bans on the common procedure. (A reported one in four people with the capacity to get pregnant will have an abortion in their lifetime. As a result of abortion bans and funding, more than one-third of U.S. counties are considered maternity care deserts with limited or no access available to reproductive healthcare.)
“The fact that they took the time out of their insanely busy schedules to come and do this festival for free is something I’m so grateful for,” Rodrigo said on stage of the many high-profile performers who attended the inaugural festival, including Doechii, Chappell Roan, Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette and many more.
“She reminds me a lot of me when I was her age a hundred years ago, and I’m somewhat awe-struck that she could do all this because it’s so hard,” Nicks, 78, said on stage, giving the young singer her flowers. “She’s done it with this grace and this crazy, crazy energy that she has.”
She continued of Rodrigo, “She’s very special. Take her to your heart; I have.”
The pair sang Nicks’ iconic “Landslide” while performing at the festival and before Rodrigo bid her many fans and attendees a good night.
“See you next year,” Rodrigo told the crowd.
