Photo: REX USA/Richard Young/Rex.At the risk of being glib, celebrities and charities go together like pretzels and frosting. They're both great on their own, but put 'em together, and you've got a combination worth writing stories about.
A famous name or face can do wonders to boost awareness of a cause. Just yesterday, we noted that it works the other way as well: Philanthropic involvement can turn a handsome face into an all-around, swoon-worthy heartthrob.
While it seems like most charities would relish a celebrity heralding their cause, there are people who get turned away. When push comes to shove, philanthropy relies on brand recognition, and having a celebrity with a negative image associated with said brand can tarnish its reputation.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, celebrities are dismissed or turned away from nonprofits for a variety of reasons. There are obvious ones, such as arrests or repeat appearances in the tabloids, and there are also some more subtle ones. These include "overactive charity participation" and "lack of education on a subject."
Charities aren't afraid to name names on the blacklist, either. Chris Brown was turned away from "several high-profile charities" when his reps reached out in an attempt to scrub his image following his 2009 arrest. After Lance Armstrong confessed to doping and lost his Tour de France titles, his very own foundation (Livestrong) severed all ties with him. And, Naomi Campbell and PETA will never work together again. The model once campaigned for the animal rights foundation, but its senior VP of communications tells THR that, "We fired her for wearing fur."
The most oddly amusing part of the whole story is that because it's Hollywood, "no one ever actually says the word no." Actors should be used to rejection — after all, auditions can be brutal. Yet somehow, when it's something touchy-feely like a charity, the first cut is the deepest. (The Hollywood Reporter)
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