15 TV Stars Who Joined Black Lives Matter Protests Across the Country
Outraged by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other people of color killed by police, celebrities have joined protests and rallies across the country to plead for the safety of Black and Brown individuals.
The protests began on May 26, one day after Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, even as Floyd, an African-American man in custody, said over and over again that he couldn’t breathe. Bystanders captured video of the incident, which quickly went viral.
Since then, tens of thousands of protestors have gathered in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, Memphis, Atlanta and more cities across the country to make their voices heard. Though some demonstrations have turned violent—Insecure actor Kendrick Sampson revealed his wounds after being hit by rubber bullets from police—many other celebs have shown footage of peaceful demonstrations .
Scroll down to see photos, video, and statements from more than a dozen TV stars who hit the streets in protest.
Anthony Anderson
“My presence is something that needed to be felt and known, because it’s all about boots on the ground,” the Black-ish star told protestors in a video he posted to Instagram on June 4. “We are the boots on the ground that are going to make change.”
Cynthia Bailey
The Real Housewives of Atlanta fixture posted Instagram pics from a protest on June 3. “It was a beautiful, peaceful protest, and i was absolutely blown away by all the love & unity that surrounded me,” she wrote in her caption.
Nick Cannon
“Stop Killing Us!” the Masked Singer host wrote as he posted this photo from Minneapolis on May 29.
John Cusack
Cops didn’t like me filming the burning car so they came at me with batons. Hitting my bike.
Ahhm here’s the audio pic.twitter.com/tfaOoVCw5v”— John Cusack (@johncusack) May 31, 2020
The actor, star of the upcoming Amazon drama Utopia, wrote on Twitter that cops “came at [him] with batons” as he filmed the Chicago protests on May 30.
Cara Delevingne
The Carnival Row star Instagrammed a photo of herself at a protest on June 3. “One step forward, but a long way to go,” she wrote.
Ellen Page
The Tales of the City star posted a video from one New York City protest on June 3 and then another on June 6.
Ellen Pompeo & T.R. Knight
The former Grey’s Anatomy costars took a knee together at the Los Angeles protests on June 3. “NONE of us can sit by and not do the work that is OURS,” Pompeo wrote on Instagram two days later. “We created this problem…WE need to put in the work.”
Keke Palmer
The Strahan, Sara and Keke cohost pleaded with National Guard troops to march with protestors in Los Angeles on June 2.
Madelaine Petsch
The Riverdale star shared video from a June 3 protest, which she attended alongside costar Camila Mendes, per E! News. “Yesterday we peacefully protested and came together to listen, learn, and fight for change,” she wrote on Instagram the following day. “I cannot describe how powerful and emotional it was to be surrounded by thousands of people, united by a cause.”
Alia Shawkat
After posting this May 31 pic, the Search Party star also marched alongside Brad Pitt on June 3, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Kendrick Sampson
On May 31, the Insecure actor posted Instagram photos of his injuries after being hit by rubber bullets during a Los Angeles protest. “These things HURT and are DANGEROUS,” he wrote. “The dude was aiming for folks HEADS. Rubber bullets have killed folks and can cause permanent damage, brain damage, concussions etc.”
David Schwimmer
The Friends alum joined ex Zoe Buckman at a protest and vigil in downtown Manhattan on June 2. “It is not enough to be opposed to racism,” he wrote on Instagram. “We must be actively opposed to it.”
Amanda Stanton
The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise alum attended a protest in Newport Beach, California, alongside her daughter Charlie.
Tessa Thompson
The Westworld star posted 40 minutes of video from a protest outside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s house on June 2. “Now is the time to lean in and engage,” she wrote in a previous post. “Fear not! We all have learning to do. To dismantle any system we must understand it—and build community.”
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services