Don Lemon has had enough of Hollywood's rich and powerful staying virtually silent while protestors fight for justice on the frontline for George Floyd after he was murdered by police in Minneapolis. The CNN Tonight host called a ton of famous figures out by name for their lack of action amid these protests, some of whom he notes are close friends of his.
"What about Hollywood? Strangely quiet," Don said during a conversation with Rev. William Barber while they observed footage of the protests going on across America. "I've seen them on Twitter, I see them, 'Oh, I'm loving what Don Lemon's doing'...But they gotta do more than that...Why aren't they helping these young people? These young people are out there standing on a platform at the edge of an abyss by themselves."
"Yes, I'm calling you out, and you can be mad at me all you want," he continued. "And what they're doing, you're sitting there and watching TV and you're b*tching abut it...Get on television or do something and help these young people instead of sitting in your mansions and doing nothing. And have some moral courage and stop worrying about your reputation and your brand." He went on to note that while monetary donations are desperately needed, "visibility is extremely important."
During his monologue, he discussed the need for powerful folks in the industry to step up. "I wanna see every white person of power and influence and wealth out here fighting for this cause and for young people," he said. "Every black person of power and wealth and substance fighting for these young people...For the young kids who are doing the right thing." He proceeds to call out massively wealthy celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Diddy, Drake, and more, acknowledging that while they do donate “millions,” their "visibility in helping speak out for these young kids” is what’s needed right now.