If people are rich and have a wide platform that enables them to do good and raise money and awareness for important causes, they should exactly that, not in secret, but publicly, so we can all know they're not ungrateful cheapskates. It's fair to say that that's most people's expectation of celebrities, and many of them live up to it, whether they're starting charities, or raising millions for hospitals, or paying for a year's worth of food for elementary school students. When natural disasters devastated places like the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, celebs showed up — and they brought their wallets with them. But donating publicly can have major drawbacks, especially when critics say that the person didn't do enough, or stars back a nonprofit that turns out to be shady. And then, there are celebs who believe that it's tacky to announce to the world their good deeds.
Yes, it is possible for someone to be famous but not want all of their business out there, especially if they were raised not to boast about the money they have or give away, or they have a history of having their every move scrutinized. After all, when it comes to celebs, everyone has an opinion, and some of them are just not here for the drama. So they opt to make money moves on the low.
And there are a million ways to do that. Some stars have representatives who make calls and wire money for them wherever it's needed. Some start foundations that don't bear their name. And others donate to crowdfunding accounts of people and organizations in dire need. And then, of course, there are celebrities who have genuine people skills, and reach out directly to nonprofit organizations to donate or offer to raise funds or meet individuals that they help out without ever posting a single picture on social media. While it's certain there are many donations that we will never know about, great stories of celebs quietly helping others with donations leak every once in a while, when friends of the celeb out them, or when grateful recipients of the good deeds come out of the woodwork after the celeb has died, and they're finally free to talk about it in public. Here are 18 celebs who gave back in secret.
Beyoncé
The superstar and husband Jay-Z give away millions every year in the public eye, through their foundations, and as a couple, but sometimes, they prefer to keep donations private. Beyoncé gave $7 million to fund a housing complex for the homeless in her hometown of Houston. Beyoncé's pastor, who officiated her wedding, oversees the project, and revealed the star's generosity in 2014.
Prince
No one compares to Prince when it comes to keeping philanthropy quiet. The late musician's deep involvement in charity only came to light after his 2016 death, when he was described as a "fierce philanthopist" whose "cause was humanity." Prince worked closely with activist Van Jones to create green jobs in low-income communities, and supported coding education efforts there. He donated money to Trayvon Martin's family, and families of other police shooting victims, and gifted $1 million to the anti-poverty initiative Harlem Children's Zone. The list is seemingly endless, making his death all the more heartbreaking.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu is super private — as anyone who saw him step out publicly recently with his under-the-radar girlfriend knows. He has a whole charitable foundation whose name no one knows, and it's been giving money away for nearly 20 years. "I don't like to attach my name to it," Keanu told Ladies' Home Journal in a 2009 interview. " I just let the foundation do what it does.” That includes donating to children's hospitals, and to cancer research — a cause personal to the John Wick star, with his sister Kim having battled leukemia for a decade.
Taylor Swift
She doesn't always inspire love in critics, but Taylor Swift is undeniably a philanthropist. When one of her superfans became homeless when his parents kicked him out of their home, Swift donated $4,000 to his GoFund campaign to help him get back on his feel. Or at least, it is widely believed to have been her. That's because though Swift never confirmed the gift, it was made in a series of three donations, labeled as being from 'T.S.', 'M.G.S' and 'O.B.S', the latter two possibly being initials for her cats Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson. Aww.
Kate Middleton
When Kate Middleton chopped off 7 inches of her luxurious, chestnut brown locks in 2018, likely no one suspected that it would end up anywhere other than her stylist's salon floor. But, in a heartwarming move, a source said, she actually donated it to a children's charity, the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for kids with cancer.
George Michael
Like other low-key celebrities, singer George Michael didn't make a point of publicizing his good deeds. He gave large sums to various children's and HIV charities, and donated royalties from "Jesus to a Child" and his duet with Elton John, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," to nonprofits, and was adamant that the amounts remain secret. We do know how much he donated to a Deal of No Deal contestant who went on the show hoping to win money to pay for IVF treatments costing around $20,000.
Nicki Minaj
The rapper has been helping support an entire Indian village for years, an initiative for which she partnered with her pastor. With her help, they've built a computer center, tailoring institute, reading program, and two wells. Minaj only revealed her involvement in 2017 — with no money details — as a way to inspire her fans to aid her future philanthropic projects.
George Clooney
Now, this is what they mean by "don't forget the little people." George Clooney once gathered 14 friends together for dinner, and handed each a briefcase with $1,000,000 in $20 bills inside. He told them that the gift was his way of thanking them for their support when he was a starving actor trying to make his way in Hollywood. Most of them were friends going through tough financial times. The story sounds like a movie scene, but it was revealed by someone who was there — nightlife entrepreneur and Cindy Crawford hubby Rande Gerber, who donated his share to charity.
Robin Williams
The comedic genius, who died in 2014, helped raise an astounding $80 million for Comic Relief, but also donated in private, with smaller donations that made a big difference. The tales of his generosity coming out after his death, including one in which he put on a series of stand-up shows that raised $50,000 for a Seattle food bank.
Russell Crowe
Apparently, committing random acts of kindness is Russell Crowe's thing. The stories of his stealth philanthropy abound: He once strolled into a thrift store run by a cancer charity in England and handed over a $1,300 check, out of the blue. When a Jewish elementary school in Montreal was fire-bombed and damaged in a hate-crime, Crowe, in town to film Cinderella Man, quietly forked over a check for an undisclosed amount to help rebuild the library, the school director told reporters.
Jay-Z
The rapper and cultural force that is Jay-Z has made many a charitable move in public, but still can't shake his reputation for doing too little. That's because he — along with superstar wife Beyoncé — often chooses to donate anonymously. Some things have come to light, however, including his wiring money to bail out Ferguson and Baltimore police brutality protesters.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs' reputation in life was as a tightwad who never gave to charity. But, recent reports have illuminated the truth: That he, and wife Laurene, gave away millions in secret. In a rare interview with the New York Times, Laurene talked about their dislike of attaching their name to donations, even when they were substantial, like the $50 million Jobs gave California hospitals during the span of a few years.
Eminem
Plain and simple, the rapper doesn't believe in publicizing his good deeds. His Marshall Mathers Foundation often gives money away on the condition that its source be kept secret. But stories have leaked out, including one instance in which Eminem donated $200,000 to the Wolverine Human Services, which helps at-risk youth throughout his native Michigan.
John Legend
Already the "sexiest man alive" and husband to the realest celeb mom ever, John Legend is also a caring person who knows that kids shouldn't go hungry in school. So when he found out that low-income students in the Seattle area, where wife Chrissy Tiegen grew up, had racked up $21,000 in school lunch debt and were in danger of losing out on the meal, he stepped up with cash. Using his birth name of John Stephens, he made a $5,000 donation to a GoFundMe effort to pay the debt. The campaign's organizer googled the name and traced it back to the singer, who fessed up.
Jude Law, Colin Farrell, & Johnny Depp
When Heath Ledger died during filming of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp stepped in to take over his role, playing different versions of his character as he travels through a dream world. The three, all friends of Ledger, quietly donated their salaries to his daughter, Matilda, because he had not updated his will to include the then 2-year-old. Director Terry Gilliam later made their generosity public (though not how much money was involved).
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep has been vocal in her support for women and girls through speeches, open letters to global politicians, and involvement in organizations like the United Nations' Girl Up. But when it comes to her own foundation, Silver Mountain Foundation for the Arts, she and sculptor husband Don Gummer have very quietly raised millions for nonprofits like Oxfam America, New York’s Meals on Wheels, and the Coalition for the Homeless. Streep's work through Silver Mountain only got attention when a Forbes article made the connection and reviewed the foundation's tax filings.
