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The Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Awards will take place on December 13, and celebrates leaders of international business, entertainment, and activist communities who have demonstrated a commitment to social change.

Honorees reflect Robert Kennedy’s passion for equality, justice, basic human rights and his belief that we all must strive to “make gentle the life of this world.”

The 2017 Ripple of Hope Awards dinner will honor Harry Belafonte (singer, songwriter, actor & activist); Alex Gorsky Chairman of the Board and CEO Johnson & Johnson); Hamdi Ulukaya (Founder, Chairman and CEO Chobani, LLC). Master of Ceremonies: Alec Baldwin and hosts: Ethel Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Tim Cook, Philip W. Johnston, B. Scott Minerd, Marvin S. Rosen, Robert & Hope Smith, Pedro Torres-Mackie and Donato Tramuto. Special guests to include: Tony Bennett, Trevor Donovan, Kathryn Erbe, Susie Essman, Peter Frampton, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheryl Hines, Catherine Keener, Keegan-Michael Key, Tony Lo Bianco, Matthew Modine, Lena Olin,...

Mark Whitaker, Ken Burns, Marina Goldman and Matthew Justus with Artemis Joukowsky Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

At the Le Cirque lunch hosted by Dan Abrams, Kerry Kennedy, Lawrence O’Donnell and producers Dan Cogan (Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt's Havana Motor Club; Edet Belzberg's Watchers Of The Sky, featuring Luis Moreno Ocampo), Geralyn Dreyfous (Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz's Land Ho!; Kirby Dick's The Invisible War and The Hunting Ground) and Judith Helfand (Martha Shane and Lana Wilson's After Tiller) for Defying The Nazis: The Sharps' War, I spoke with the directors, Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky.

Ken Burns with Artemis Joukowsky: "And this is a feminist tale as well! From the very beginning, she has defied her parents, she has defied her husband, she has defied the Nazis." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Marina Goldman, who gives her voice to Martha Sharp, let me know that she never got to meet Tom Hanks,...

Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain, the social thriller scripted around the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, has opened to rave reviews in American theatres. Directed by Ravi Kumar and produced by Sahara Movie Studios and Rising Star Entertainment, the film has found an emotional resonance with audiences and critics alike.

We loved it here at Bollyspice saying, “Raajpal Yadav is brilliant in his role as Dilip. Tannishtha Chatterjee is wonderful and is the heart of the film. I cannot give this film a rating, as it is so much more than that. I can only simply say it is important that everyone see this devastating tale, to learn, to know, to feel and to act.” Read more of our rave review here

Martin Tsai of the Los Angeles Times calls the film “a revolutionary cautionary tale” applauding how “Kumar vividly recreates the Bhopal disaster”. Gurinder Chadha, director of much-loved films like Bend It Like Beckham,...

Paris Jackson remains hospitalized after cutting her wrist -- and we have new details on what's been happening in her life. Plus, why is Conrad Murray, of all people, reaching out to her from behind bars??Also ... video of Justin Bieber and his crew attacking a paparazzo! It's Justin's third tussle with paps in Miami this week, but this time there's overwhelming evidence a crime may have taken place.Plus, Rfk's daughter Kerry Kennedy laughs,...

They've both achieved international fame, both are extremely powerful, and both have their fair share of controversies -- but don't you Dare compare the Kardashian family to the Kennedys ... so says Robert F. Kennedy's daughter. Kerry Kennedy -- a major human rights activist -- was out in D.C. yesterday when we asked how Kim K and the rest of the Kardashian squad could build a lasting family legacy like the Kennedys. Kerry's response -- Laughter ... followed by,...

In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, Variety has put together a special report exploring the issue of violence, with insights from the entertainment community. Instead of focusing solely on violence as portrayed in media like movies, TV, and video games, the magazine asked contributors to go after the issue from every possible angle, including gun control, social responsibility, personal responsibility, and more. Entertainment industry leaders such as Vince Gilligan, Chaz Palmenteri, Kerry Kennedy, and Alex Gibney weighed in with thoughful essays on how to solve the pressing issue of violence in our culture. Our own co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal teamed up with Dr. Harold Koplewicz of Child Mind Institute to focus on the importance of erasing the stigma of mental illness, at one point offering one of 2012's most celebrated films as one example of the entertainment industry moving in the right ...

Taylor Swift can finish the year on a high.

As well as enjoying some of the year's best album sales for her latest effort, 'Red', as well as being romanced by arguably the world's most desired teenager (sorry, Beliebers), the country singing star, still only 22, has been named the top of the list of most charitably-minded stars.

She was handed the award by bosses at Do.Something.org for donating $4 million to the Country Hall of Fame and Museum in Tennessee and becoming the youngest person to receive the Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for her philanthropic efforts.

Kerry Kennedy with the recipient of the Ripple of Hope Award, Taylor Swift

Presenting the Ripple of Hope Award in early December, Rfk's youngest daughter Kerry had explained of the prize in her father's name: "He described it in his Ripple of Hope speech, which this award is named after.

Taylor Swift and Harry Styles made separate exits out of their NYC hotel this morning. She attended last night's Ripple of Hope Gala in the Big Apple, decked out in a ready-for-the-holidays sequined dress. The benefit, which was organized by the Robert F. Kennedy Center For Justice & Human Rights, was also attended many of her new Kennedy pals. Taylor, who performed on stage later in the night, first said hi to Kerry Kennedy and Robert Kennedy Jr. Robert posed on the carpet alongside his girlfriend, Suburgatory star Cheryl Hines. Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas also attended, as did emcee Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria Thomas, and Homeland's Mandy Patinkin. Afterward, Taylor's night wasn't over - she met up with One Direction's Harry Styles! Taylor Swift and Harry Styles have grown close, and were even seen exploring NYC's Central Park Zoo together over the weekend. The two hit the town last night,...

People may talk about Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy's whirlwind romance, but it's clear that the superstar singer has won over the people who count the most - her boyfriend's family. "She is just spectacular," Ethel Kennedy, Conor's grandmother, said at the Rfk golf tournament at the Hyannisport Club on Oct. 12. "She's just sensational inside and out." When asked if her grandson, 18, has taken a liking to Swift, 22, Ethel replied, "Yes! How could you not? I think the world has." Last month, a source in Swift's circle told People that the singer, 22, is "head over heels into" Conor, adding, "[She] is on cloud nine.

Kerry Kennedy has plead not guilty to driving under the influence of drugs during her July 13 car crash ... claiming she had a seizure as a result of an old head injury. Kennedy appeared in North Castle Town Court in New York last night to answer for the incident in which she crashed into a tractor-trailer around 8 Am. Cops said she failed multiple sobriety tests and exhibited slurred speech. But Kerry says she may have accidentally...

Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, will plead not guilty in court today, USA Today is reporting. Kennedy was charged with driving under the influence of drugs after she was found slumped over the wheel of her Lexus on Friday. She also reportedly hit a tractor-trailer in the accident. Kennedy was driving south on Interstate 684 when other motorists said they saw her strike the tractor-trailer and drive off. Police found her car on New York Route 22 after she exited the highway with a flat tire. Robert Gottlieb, a lawyer for Kennedy, insisted yesterday that his client is innocent in the accident. He declined  [ Read More ]...

Kerry Kennedy's car crash and subsequent Dwi arrest might have had nothing to do with drugs and instead could have have occurred because she suffered from a seizure -- this according to a new report. Kennedy was arrested Friday Am after driving erratically and crashing into a tractor trailer on I-684 in NY. Police charged with driving while impaired by drugs after she allegedly admitted to taking an Ambien. But a source tells the...

Robert F. Kennedy's daughter Kerry Kennedy was arrested in New York this morning after cops say she was driving while under the influence of drugs ... and crashed into a tractor-trailer. The State Police released a statement saying they received 911 calls around 8:00 Am reporting a woman in a 2008 Lexus who was driving in an "erratic manner."When cops arrived to the scene ... officers found Kerry's damaged car nearby ... with Kennedy seated behind the wheel.

In the week since Mary Kennedy's shocking suicide on May 16, dueling versions have emerged about what caused Robert F. Kennedy's wife to hang herself in a barn on her Bedford, N.Y., estate at age 52. On May 18, two days after his estranged wife died, Rfk Jr. told funeral mourners that Mary suffered from "demons." "There's nobody who bore what she bore," said Kennedy, 58. "She was in agony for five years." It was a point also made by his sister, Kerry Kennedy, who spoke about her friend's lifelong struggle with depression. But many of Mary's friends and loved ones...

Rfk Jr. doesn't blame himself for his wife's tragic suicide, he told a friend at Mary's May 19 funeral. Though Mary Kennedy gave warning signs, like threatening suicide several times, before taking her own life by hanging herself on May 16, her estranged husband Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said her untimely death was not his fault. "I know I did everything I could to help her," Robert, 58, said during Mary's funeral in Bedford, New York on May 19, according to TMZ. HollywoodLife.com was there at the somber ceremony, when Mary's best friend and Robert's sister Kerry Kennedy gave an emotional statement, calling Mary "an angel claimed by the forces of evil." Mary, who was 52, battled depression and alcohol and prescription drug abuse issues. She was torn apart by her estranged husband's relationship with actress Cheryl Hines, whom Robert was dating even though he and Mary were still legally married. We wish the...

The most chilling moment of a reflective ceremony came when Mary's good friend addressed the press before the service and HollywoodLife.com was right there. Mary Kennedy's suicide was beyond shocking for her family, and Kerry Kennedy -- Mary's best friend and the sister of her estranged husband Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. -- gave an emotional speech to press on before the May 19 funeral in St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Bedford, N.Y., and HollywoodLife.com has the entire statement. "Mary suffered from depression and it's a disease that so many, many, many Americans suffer from," she said. "I just think about the story of Michael, the arch angel, who had to battle the forces of evil, had to battle Satan who was trying to enter paradise. And that's what Mary did her whole life. She was battling those demons and keeping them out of the paradise that was Mary.

Mary will also be remembered by her kids after her tragic suicide -- find out how they will pay tribute to her. HollywoodLife.com is at today's funeral, and we have Exclusive details of the tragic remembrances and some of the A-list guests. Mary Kennedy's life will be remembered after her tragic May 16 suicide, and family and friends are paying tribute to the beloved mother. Mary's four kids will read scripture passages at the May 19 funeral of 250 people, the New York Post reports. Hollywoodlife.com is at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Bedford, N.Y., and we've spotted several celebs at the funeral, including Maria Shriver, Glenn Close and Larry David. Other celebs such as Chelsea Handler attended the May 18 wake. Mary's good friend Kerry Kennedy spoke to reporters before the service, saying that Mary was loved within the Kennedy clan. "She just lived her life to the fullest,...

In a new interview, Rfk Jr. reveals that his estranged wife Mary battled depression for much of her life, leading up to her May 16 suicide. An exhausted and distraught Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke out about the death of his wife Mary Kennedy for the first time on May 17, and revealed just how much she struggled in the months leading up to her tragic suicide at the Bedford, N.Y. home they once shared. “A lot of times I don’t know how she made it through the day,” Robert told the New York Times. “She was in a lot of agony for a lot of her life.” Robert had filed several restraining orders against Mary, 52, and was going after full custody of their four children, which sent Mary into a downward spiral of prescription drug and alcohol abuse. She had tried AA meetings and had been sober for five months,...

CBS has greenlit a summer series called Dogs In the City, starring animal behaviorist and comic Justin Silver. Look how cute! And there are dogs, too!

Fox News is threatening Gawker about the "Fox mole" Joe Muto, who worked on The O'Reilly Factor until he started feeding information to Gawker this week. Fox has hired a high powered law firm and is demanding all information that Muto leaked. Gawker seems amused by the threat and has published more information since it was made.

The reboot of The Flintstones has been put on hold due to Seth MacFarlane's busy schedule. MacFarlane is juggling four other shows plus his Grammy nominated singing career and post-production on his Teddy Bear movie Ted.

Francis Bean Cobain says that Dave Grohl never came on to her as Courtney Love claimed on Twitter, and says that Twitter should ban her mother.

The first Ask The...

HollywoodNews.com: Chicago will welcome 20 Nobel Peace Laureates from 17 countries around the globe this April 23 – 25, 2012, for the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. The Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, together with the 2012 Chicago Host Committee, have announced that eleven Nobel Peace Prize-winning individuals and nine Laureate organizations are currently confirmed to attend and participate in the three-day event—the first time the international peacemaking summit will be held in North America.

Read More About Sean Penn’S Work In Haiti

In addition to convening Nobel Laureates, the World Summit annually recognizes a high-profile personality making an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace. Sean Penn, actor, founder and CEO of J/P Haitian Relief Organization, will be presented with the 2012 Peace Summit Award during the summit for his work to rebuild and aid the victims of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as well...

Unless you are being awakened with the news that you have just been nominated for an Oscar, it's safe to say that most people would not be happy to receive a random call at 5 in the morning. CNN apparently never got that memo, because, as Jon Stewart mocked on Tuesday's "Daily Show," the 5 a.m. CNN series "Early Start" includes a segment called "Wake 'Em Up," in which hosts Ashleigh Banfield and Zoraida Sambolin cold call famous people whose phone numbers they happen to have. One victim: Kerry Kennedy, daughter of...

The Robert F. Kennedy Foundation of Europe has unveiled its fourth annual Summer Auction, featuring a star-studded line-up of extraordinary experiences donated by Italian arts, entertainment, and cultural leaders to raise funds for the organization’s vital human rights work.

The auction, held in partnership with charitybuzz, the leading destination for online charity auctions, will run from June 3 to June 23 at www.rfkennedyeurope.org and www.charitybuzz.com/rfkeurope2011. Bidding is open to supporters worldwide.

“Whether it’s living a dream of taking a romantic adventure through Venice or being in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI, bidders have the opportunity to do it all,” said Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert Kennedy and honorary president of Rfk Europe. “At the same time, they are supporting Rfk Europe’s important work advancing social justice and human rights, through the Speak Truth To Power education program, student journalism awards, and many special events,...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Trudie Styler and Sting attend 2011 Riverkeeper Fishermen's Ball.Photo copyright Marco Sagliocco / PR Photos. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Trudie Styler and Sting attend 2011 Riverkeeper Fishermen's Ball.Photo copyright Marco Sagliocco / PR Photos. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Trudie Styler and Sting attend 2011 Riverkeeper Fishermen's Ball.Photo copyright Marco Sagliocco / PR Photos. Patty Smyth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kick Kennedy, Rufus Wainwright, John McEnroe attend 2011 Riverkeeper Fishermen's Ball.Photo copyright Marco Sagliocco / PR Photos. Kick Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.attend 2011 Riverkeeper Fishermen's Ball.Photo copyright Marco Sagliocco / PR Photos. 04/13/2011 - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Kerry Kennedy - 2011 Riverkeeper Fishermen's Ball - Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers...

Wyclef Jean will perform at a special charity event to help the people of Haiti tomorrow, December 16.

While Haitians are still facing darkness and despair almost a year after the tragic earthquake that rocked Haiti, their courage and vibrancy continue to shine and inspire. The Truth exhibition is Urban Zen’s celebration of Haiti’s resilient spirit, showcasing a dynamic country bursting with life. The Premier Exhibition and Auction will raise funds to give “Gifts of Love” packages to the Haitian people this holiday season and into the New Year. These packages will include vital supplies: shoes, solar flashlights and whistles to offset night attacks and rapes on women living in the Haitian camps. Cholera relief supplies will also be added as a critical component in these “Gifts of Love.”

Fashion icon and Urban Zen founder Donna Karan & music mogul Andre Harrell will host the launch of The Truth at the Urban Zen Center,...

A host of stars including Meryl Streep, Viggo Mortensen, Paul Sorvino, Julianne Moore, Marcia Gay Harden, Debra Winger, Stanley Tucci and more took part in a special charity performance of Speak Truth To Power: Voices From Beyond The Dark on Monday night.

The reading was performed at the Public Theater in New York City. Originally a book written by Kerry Kennedy, “Speak Truth To Power” was adapted by playwright Ariel Dorfman for Monday night’s performance in order to raise money for Habitat For Humanity's Relief Efforts in Chile.

The play chronicles the true-story accounts of heroic people withstanding horrific human rights abuses across the globe, and was presented by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights – established by Kerry Kennedy in 1988.

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Stars including Alicia Keys, Sir Elton John and Whitney Houston have offered themselves up to the highest bidder to raise money for a human rights charity. Justin Bieber, Gwen Stefani and Oprah Winfrey are also among the celebrities donating their time for a 'meet and greet' which is being auctioned off online to benefit the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.

Other lots include the opportunity to spend a day on the set of John Cusack's new movie and a signed hat worn by Harrison Ford in the "Indiana Jones" movies. Kerry Kennedy, founder of the Rfk Center's Speak Truth to Power campaign, says, "By bidding on these incredible experiences, people will be supporting cutting-edge human rights defenders from around the world, including those fighting for the right to water and reconstruction in Haiti, the peace process in Darfur, farmers' rights in the U.S and much more.

New York, April 20- Robert De Niro has agreed to have coffee with two of his fans who are ready to bid for his company.

The actor hopes to raise fund for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice.

The bidding at the foundation’s website, RFKCenter.org, hovered around 6,000 dollars.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” the New York Daily News quoted Kerry Kennedy, who directs the human rights organization.

De Niro is known to be a man of less words in Hollywood, so it remains to be seen how he entertains.

Kerry Kennedy and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will present a one-night-only benefit reading of Ariel Dorfman's play Speak Truth To Power: Voices From Beyond The Dark, adapted from Kerry Kennedy's book of the same name, on Monday, May 3 at 7 p.m. All proceeds from the reading will benefit the relief efforts of Habitat for Humanity in Chile.

New York, Mar 22 – Padma Lakshmi’s baby daddy Adam Dell has finally resorted to hiring legal eagle Bill Zabel to help him negotiate with the model.

The Texan brother of billionaire computer maker Michael Dell wants to win a larger role in the life of his daughter, Krishna Lakshmi.

Zabel has repped everyone from George Soros, Jane (Mrs. Jack) Welch, Kerry Kennedy-Cuomo and Nancy Friday to Howard Stern.

“If Dell has changed his mind, that’s his problem. They [Lakshmi and Dell] already have an agreement,”.

Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer Wyclef Jean, and (Red) founder/U2 front man Bono, were honored this week at a ceremony thrown by The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, where each were awarded the ‘Ripple of Hope’ Award.

“As champions of justice, Bono and Wyclef have brought the national spotlight to human rights violations, empowered local activists, and transformed the lives of millions of people living in poverty from Port-Au-Prince to Darfur,” said Kerry Kennedy, founder of the Rfk Center for Justice and Human Rights. “Their efforts evoke the spirit of my father and we are honored to recognize them.”

Jean was honored for his work to inspire change in his native country of Haiti through his Yéle Haiti Foundation.

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