Actress Charlize Theron has criticised the new US immigration policy and the latest cuts to foreign aid, claiming they were destroying the lives of families.
“The world feels like it’s burning because it is,” the Oscar winner said at the fifth annual Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program Block Party in Los Angeles on Saturday.
“Here in Los Angeles, in the US and across the globe, we are moving backwards fast. Immigration policy is destroying the lives of families, not criminals. Women’s rights are becoming less and less every day, queer and trans lives are increasingly being erased, and gender-based violence is on the rise. This isn’t just policy, it’s personal,” Theron continued.
Though the 49-year-old actress did not mention President Donald Trump by name, she highlighted the devastating impact of the foreign aid cuts. “Foreign aid cuts brought HIV and AIDS programs in my home country of South Africa to an absolute standstill. All of this is not just detrimental, it’s dangerous. People will lose their lives. Many have already unfortunately and at a frightening rate. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see this kind of unnecessary suffering,” Theron said.
Taking a dig at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s lavish Venetian wedding, the Fast X actress said, “I think we might be the only people who did not get an invite to the Bezos wedding. But that’s okay because they s**k and we’re cool.”
In her speech, Theron spoke about the power of resistance. “What we also see, what we cannot miss, is the resistance. There is hope, there is power in all of us standing up, organising, protesting, voting and caring for each other, and refusing to accept that this is the new normal. That spirit of resistance, justice and care for each other, that’s the spirit that drives the work at CTAOP.”
Theron launched CTAOP 18 years ago to support young people living in her native South Africa. CTAOP-supported programs have till date reached more than 4.5 million youth and granted USD 15 million to organisations in South Africa.
On the work front, Theron is set to star in Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic film The Odyssey, which will hit screens next year.
