Variety: Power of women honouring hard work in entertainment
Variety celebrated its annual Power of Women issue Sept. 23 in Beverly Hills, recognizing distinguished women in entertainment.
Jennifer Hudson, Pearlena Igbokwe, Melissa McCarthy and Sharon Stone were guests of honour, recognized for their accomplishments and commitment to key social causes.
Hudson, an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award winner, received the Changemaker Award.
She called power an “interesting idea,” noting people are often taught to shy away from embracing it.
“We are told to be strong, never told to be powerful, but power can be good. In the right hands, power can change the world for the better, and what better hands than those of a woman,” she said.
Television personality and fashion influencer Paige DeSorbo received the Courage Award. She spoke about being physically and mentally abused by a former partner at 19, an experience that led her to create the Purina Purple Leash Project, a charity supporting pet-friendly shelters for survivors of domestic abuse.
“If sharing it means even one person realizes what happened to them isn’t their fault and that there’s a way forward, then it was all worth it,” she said.
Comedian and actress Melissa McCarthy received the Power of Women Award for her work across film and television, along with her philanthropic ties to Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation.
“For me, the greatest display of power is those willing to roll up their sleeves and help bring change,” McCarthy said. “Those who choose integrity over intimidation and never confuse a helping hand for a handout.”
During her speech, McCarthy recalled interviewing Gloria Steinem, who gifted her a bracelet reading “we are linked, not ranked.” McCarthy said the phrase stuck with her because it reframed power as something shared rather than hierarchical.
She closed by crediting Hargitay, calling her a “gloriously powerful woman” for her work with survivors of child abuse, domestic abuse and sexual assault through the Joyful Heart Foundation.
Sharon Stone closed the night, honoured for her advocacy work with the American Civil Liberties Union.
The Academy Award-nominated actress thanked Hudson, McCarthy and DeSorbo for inspiring her and spoke about the importance of press freedom.
“It matters to me that our First Amendment is freedom of speech. It matters to me that, that includes the freedom of the press and that is Variety and it matters very much to me," she said.
She closed her speech on a final note: “The power that I feel, the power of women, I get because I am standing in the middle of you and I do not stand alone.”
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