29 Famous Women Who've Ignored Hollywood's Toxic Tradition Of Pitting Women Against Each Other
BuzzFeed
6 min read
Warning: Some moments include topics of sexual assault and anti-Black comments. Please proceed with caution.
1.When Sheryl Lee Ralph defended her Abbott Elementary costar Quinta Brunson after Jimmy Kimmel stole the spotlight during Quinta's groundbreaking Emmys speech. Ralph said: "I was like: 'I wish that man would just get up off of the ground.' Then, I realized it was Jimmy Kimmel, and I was like: 'Oh, the disrespect, Jimmy!' But that's just me."
Gilles Mingasson / ABC / Wireimage / Getty Images
2.When Lizzo revealed on an Instagram Live that she received racist and anti-fat comments after dropping her music video for "Rumors," and iconic rappers Cardi B and Missy Elliott immediately came to Lizzo's side to show their unconditional love and support.
Atlantic / Nice Life / Rich Fury / Getty Images / @lizzobeeating / Via Instagram: @lizzobeeating
@lizzobeeating / Via Instagram: @lizzobeeating
3.When Taylor Swift sent Olivia Rodrigo a ring similar to one of her own after the success of "drivers license," celebrating the rise of a new and groundbreaking pop artist.
4.When Willow Smith revealed on Red Table Talk she used to harm herself, and Jada Pinkett Smith made sure to focus on what was really important.
SiriusXM
5.When Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie were doing press for Eternals, and they couldn't help but praise each other for being the mindful, present, funny, and amazing actors and women they truly are.
Access Hollywood
6.When Lady Gaga took to her Instagram stories to show her support for Britney Spears, and let her know how happy she was that she was finally free from her nearly 14-year conservatorship.
@ladygaga / Via Instagram: @ladygaga
7.When Lily Tomlin rocked a purse that had her Grace and Frankie costar and longtime pal, Jane Fonda's, 1970 mugshot on it.
Jason Kempin / Kypros / Getty Images
8.When the crowd at the US Open in 2018 booed Naomi Osaka for beating Serena Williams, and Williams wrapped her arm around the new tennis pro and used her platform to call out the crowd's toxic behavior.
ESPN
9.When Oprah gifted 23-year-old poet Amanda Gorman a caged bird ring for Gorman to wear on the day of President Biden's inauguration. The ring was a tribute to one of Oprah's longtime heroes, Maya Angelou, who read a poem at Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993.
Alex Wong / Timothy Hiatt / Consolidated News Pictures / Getty Images
10.And when Oprah hosted a Legends Ball in 2006, an event where young Black women in Hollywood celebrated trailblazers who came before them, like Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Maya Angelou, and Ruby Dee (among others).
ABC
11.When Cate Blanchett revealed what it was like meeting Sarah Paulson for the first time, and how Paulson's wonderful reputation preceded her.
@wmag
12.When Mariah Carey went up on the American Idol stage to hug superfan Kelly Clarkson, and the two singers gushed over each other's legendary voices and musical talents.
Fox
13.When Meagan Good left this encouraging comment on Leslie Jones' Instagram post after Jones revealed her struggle with self-love.
@lesdogggg / Via instagram.com
14.When Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, and other female musicians showed their support for Kesha at the 2018 Grammys after producer Dr. Luke was accused of sexually assaulting her.
Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images
15.When Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 because she wanted to take care of her mental health, and she received a ton of backlash. Michelle Obama then took to Instagram to let her know just how proud she was of her decision.
Xavier Laine / Gary Miller / Getty Images / Via Twitter: @MichelleObama
16.When Emma Thompson was in the audience at Adele's An Audience With... concert, and she encouraged folks in their seats to stand up and dance along to the singer's iconic "Rolling in the Deep."
ITV
17.When Angela Bassett (who earned an Oscar nomination for What's Love Got to Do with It) visited Adrienne Warren backstage at Tina: The Tina Turner Musical in 2018, and praised her for portraying Tina Turner so brilliantly.
18.When Beyoncé posted a message on her website supporting Meghan Markle after her interview with Oprah, and she celebrated Markle's strength, courage, and leadership despite being mistreated by the royals.
CBS / Harpo Productions / Beyonce / WPA Pool / Getty Images / Via beyonce.com
19.When Barbra Streisand appeared on The Judy Garland Show in 1963 in the beginning of her career, and Garland gave her advice. She visited Streisand's apartment in New York City, saying things like: "Don't let them do to you what they did to me."
CBS
20.When Taraji P. Henson gave Viola Davis (the first Black woman to win Lead Actress for a Drama Series) a standing ovation at the Emmys, even though she lost to her.
And Viola Davis thanked her fellow actors right back.
21.And when Meryl Streep lost the Oscar to her BFF Cher in 1988, and reacted by leaping up in pure joy to cheer her on.
ABC
22.When Janis Joplin bought one of her musical heroes, Bessie Smith, a burial plot decades after she died because the legendary blues singer never had one (despite her groundbreaking influence in the music industry).
CBS / Bettmann / GAB Archive / Getty Images
23.When Taylor Swift inducted Carole King into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and gave her nothing but high praise, recognition, and flowers for paving the way for female songwriters in the music industry.
HBO
24.When Leslie Jones made her first appearance on The View in 2016 and told Whoopi Goldberg how much she influenced her growing up as a Black woman and as a comedian, leaving Goldberg speechless.
ABC
25.When Carol Burnett didn't have jobs lined up after her big success in Once Upon a Mattress on Broadway, and Lucille Ball showered her with various opportunities. Ball hired her as a guest star on The Lucy Show before she got her big break in 1967 with The Carol Burnett Show.
NBC / CBS
26.When Whitney Houston surprised humongous fan Brandy during a rehearsal for the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in 1995. During their first meeting, Houston checked in on 16-year-old Brandy and asked how she was handling her newfound fame in the music industry.
Two years later, Houston took Brandy under her wing when the iconic singers starred in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella together.
27.When Oprah's hero, sitcom legend Mary Tyler Moore, gave her the ultimate surprise and thanked her for her huge contribution to the world of television.
ABC
28.When Alicia Keys hosted the 2019 Grammys and invited Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Lady Gaga on stage to celebrate their voices and contributions to the world.
CBS
29.And when Adele stopped in the middle of her 2017 Grammys acceptance speech to talk about the huge impact Beyoncé (and her Lemonade album) had on her life.
CBS