SAG Awards: Simon Helberg, Jocelyn Towne’s Red Carpet Protest
Big Bang Theory star Simon Helberg and his wife Jocelyn Towne made a statement on the red carpet at the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night (Jan. 29).
The actors did not want to be silent on Donald Trump’s immigration ban. They made good use of their star platform to (silently) speak out against his executive order to prohibit foreign refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries to the U.S. for 90 days. Helberg, 36, walked the red carpet with a handwritten sign that read “Refugees Welcome,” while Towne, 40, had the words “Let Them In” scrawled across her chest above her gown.
Helberg and Towne join a long list of celebrities who have spoken out against Trump’s anti-immigration policy over the past 48 hours. The two have also taken to social media over the weekend to fire back at Trump’s order. On Saturday, Helberg tweeted his support for the American Civil Liberties Union, which fought the executive order with a successful lawsuit at a Federal Court in Brooklyn. Several federals have fought against Trump’s executive order.
Go @ACLU! https://t.co/fwdw4ysetJ
— Simon Helberg (@simonhelberg) January 29, 2017
On Friday, Jan. 27, Trump signed an executive order on immigration that blocks entry to the U.S. for citizens of the seven predominantly Muslim nations. Protests have since taken place across the nation’s major airports on Saturday and Sunday. Helberg and Towne were the first celebrities at the SAG Awards to speak out against the travel ban on the red carpet, but the ban has been weighing heavy on the stars all night, reported the Daily News.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus spoke out about her father, who fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France, and called the immigration ban a “blemish” and “un-American.”
“Whether the Russians did or did not hack the voting at tonight’s SAG awards, I look out on thee million or million and half people in this room and I say this award is legitimate and I won,” she said. “I’m the winner. The winner is me. Landslide.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus jokes by echoing Trump: “This award is legitimate and I won.” #SAGawards pic.twitter.com/mQB9nhPDuJ
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 30, 2017
In addition, Ashton Kutcher, the first presenter of the night, thanked “everyone in airports that belong in my America.”
“You are a part of the fabric of who we are and we love you and we welcome you,” he said before he presented the first award of the night, reported People.com.
Another creative guild, The Writers Guild of America, has already spoken out against the ban, according to Variety. The guild said that it has “applauded” the Federal Court’s decision.
“It is both unconstitutional and deeply wrong to say that you cannot enter our country because of where you were born or what religion you were born into,” said WGA West president Howard Rodman and WGA East president Michael Winship in a statement on Sunday. “Human rights – including the freedoms of speech and religion – are essential to all Americans and to all who come here to build better lives.”
Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne’s red-carpet statement comes after the actor said that he hopes that Meryl Streep “wins an award and finally gets some recognition” at this year’s Golden Globes. He made the statement before the legendary actress made a statement of her own about Trump and his policies.
According to Fox 28, Helberg was clearly channeling his BBT character Howard Wolowitz and was joking about Streep winning an award as she has been nominated for 30 Golden Globes over the years, and she took home the Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement this year. She was also nominated for best performance in a motion picture musical or comedy for Florence Foster Junkins.
Helberg was nominated for supporting actor in that same film. He said that he was looking forward to a raucous and booze-filled night at the Globes. Unfortunately, Helberg, Towne, and the rest of the actors will have more of a subdued night at the SAG Awards due to current events.
[Featured image by SAG Awards: Simon Helberg, Jocelyn Towne’s Red Carpet Protest]
