Cap D’Antibes, France (AP) – Kevin Spacey bashed Donald Trump during an AIDS fundraiser, saying he would enjoy visiting a place with “so many casinos to bankrupt.”
Spacey served as master of ceremonies at May 19’s annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS fundraiser, held during the nearby Cannes International Film Festival.
Besides poking fun at GOP presidential candidate and businessman Trump over his Atlantic City, New Jersey, casino history, Spacey did impressions of former President Bill Clinton and the late actor Jack Lemmon.
The 1970s-disco-themed dinner, complete with glitter balls, featured a Sister Sledge performance of “We Are Family,” a song from the Village People and Katy Perry’s disco rendition of her biggest hits as the finale.
There were celebrities aplenty at the event, which auctioned off items including a yachting weekend ($616,000), a week’s stay at Leonardo DiCaprio’s Palm Springs, California, home ($336,000), and a walk-on role on Spacey’s political drama “House of Cards” ($560,000).
Milla Jovovich, Adrien Brody, Chris Tucker, Kirsten Dunst, Juliette Binoche, Vanessa Paradis, Karolina Kurkova and Juliette Binoche were among those at the exclusive Hotel du Cap-Eden Roc just outside Cannes.
Blending glamor and a good cause is harder than it looks, observed Helen Mirren.
“It’s always a slightly uncomfortable mix,” she said on the red carpet. But it “raises an awful lot of money” for a very important charity, she added.
“AIDS is still a devastating illness, destroying communities all over the world and this charity will help with that so we’ll make AIDS history,” the Oscar-winning star said.
“What do I love about amfAR? The fact that they’ve made sure to save people over the last 20 years – so many people today that are living with HIV/AIDS are living because of the research amfAR does,” said Jovovich, a regular at the event.
Brody, a keen painter as well as an actor, said he was both a guest and a contributor to the evening’s auction with one of his works.
“It’s a pretty grand piece that I’ve donated for amfAR this evening, so I’m very excited. I’m very excited to share that,” he said. It was auctioned for more than $500,000.
Australian actor Joel Edgerton was unsure when asked if he planned to bid on any of the auction items.
“The trouble with me is I haven’t done the Marvel movies yet, so I can’t spend lots of money, but I want to support and I will in my own way,” he said. “I have a bit of a twitch, I might end up buying everything.”
According to amfAR figures, to date the Cinema Against AIDS galas have raised more than $170 million for its research programs.
