Tiffany Haddish, Michael B. Jordan, Jennifer Lopez and other stars join George Floyd protests: 'We can't be complacent'

Tiffany Haddish, Common, Megan Thee Stallion and Jennifer Lopez have all joined protests. (Photo: Getty Images)
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Tiffany Haddish, Michael B. Jordan, Jennifer Lopez and many other stars have joined the protests against police brutality that began after the death of yet another unarmed black man, George Floyd.

They’ve been part of the massive number of people taking to the streets of Minneapolis, the city where Floyd died, and elsewhere — Atlanta, Chicago, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and beyond — carrying signs supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and decrying racial inequality.

Tiffany Haddish and Common

The actress and the rapper were part of a massive All Black Lives Matter march on June 14 through Hollywood and West Hollywood, Calif.

Haddish also attended a protest two days earlier, where she explained how she feels about the police. “I can’t even drive to Beverly Hills without getting pulled over — and I got a Tesla,” she told CNN. “I shouldn’t be afraid when I see those lights come on behind me, right? I shouldn’t feel like, is this gonna be the last day that I’m on earth? I shouldn’t feel like it’s dangerous to be born the way I was born.”

The 2020 version of these protests make her hopeful.

“There’s definitely been a transition, people are waking up,” Haddish said. “People can see now and people's hearts are opening up.”

Megan Thee Stallion

The rapper rocked rainbow-colored hair for the June 14 All Black Lives Matter event supporting LGBTQ rights and denouncing racial injustice in L.A.

Michael B. Jordan

The Black Panther and Just Mercy star took the mic at a Los Angeles protest on June 6, calling for Hollywood to hire “commit to black hiring.”

“Black content led by black executives, black consultants,” he said. “Are you policing our storytelling as well? Let us bring our darkness to the light.

“What we are doing today will make our values heard and our voices heard,” the actor added. “We’ve got to keep agitating things. We can’t be complacent. We can’t let this moment just pass us by, we have to continue to put our foot on their necks.”

Jordin Sparks

The singer joined a protest for her own loved ones. “It was definitely the conversations I had with my husband, and also thinking and knowing that that could have been my dad,” Sparks told SiriusXM’s The Joe Madison Show. “You know, that could have been my dad. That could have been my brother. It could have been my cousin. It could have been my husband. And to know that is a very, very, heavy, heavy weight to carry. So it was the conversations that I had with my husband, thinking about my family, and also my son. Because I was out there so my son’s future can be better than this. It’s gotta be better than this.”

Jennifer Lopez and Alexander Rodriguez

“Let’s Get Loud for Black Lives Matter,” read one of the signs that Lopez’s 12-year-old twins, Max and Emme, made for the couple to carry as they walked in an L.A. protest. “We talked about how if one person doesn’t have justice then no one does,” Lopez explained. “That this country was built on the belief of freedom and justice for all. We must take a stand for what we believe in and fight against the injustices in this world. So we continue to peacefully protest until there is change.”

Kanye West

The rapper was part of an event in Chicago, where people marched to demand that the city’s schools keep police officers out, according to NBC 5 Chicago. Earlier the same day, West donated $2 million to the families and legal teams of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Additionally, he established a college fund for Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner

On June 6 the couple joined protesters chanting “No justice, no peace.” Turner, who is reportedly pregnant with their first child, was also seen holding up a sign that read “Silence is violence.”

Pink and Carey Hart

On June 6, the pop star, accompanied by husband Carey Hart, shared a photo of herself at a protest, wearing both a Rosa Parks T-shirt and a face mask in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Pink later responded directly to commenters criticizing her stance and the Black Lives Matter movement, telling one critic to “educate yourself.”

Justice Smith

On Friday, June 5, the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Detective Pikachu actor addressed his sexuality in a post following his participation in New Orleans protests.

“We chanted ‘Black Trans Lives Matter’ ‘Black Queer Lives Matter’ ‘All Black Lives Matter,’” he wrote. “As a black queer man myself, I was disappointed to see certain people eager to say Black Lives Matter, but hold their tongue when trans/queer was added.”

Jamie Foxx

The Oscar winner spoke at a Minneapolis protest on Friday, May 29. “We’re not afraid to stand. We’re not afraid of the moment,” Foxx said.

By the following Monday, after a weekend in which peaceful protests in some places devolved into violence, he was part of a “kneel-in” protest in San Francisco, in which participants dropped to their knee in honor of Floyd while chanting, as Floyd did, “I can’t breathe.” He instructed other celebs to take action as well: “My Hollywood friends, you gotta get out here. You can’t sit back, you can’t tweet, you can’t text,” he said, per Los Angeles Times reporter Johana Bhuiyan.

Lucy Hale

The Katy Keene actress was part of a protest in Hollywood, Calif. “20k+ strong! Today was beautiful,” she captioned video footage from the June 8 event. “Honored to walk with all of you #blacklivesmatter.”

Stranger Things cast members

Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton — better known as cast members from the Netflix sci-fi hit — have all been spotted protesting racial injustice in various cities. “Please know i am reading, watching, listening, and educating myself,” Dyer, who plays Nancy, captioned a snapshot of her protest on Instagram. “I am with you and i am angry.”

Steph and Ayesha Curry

“Today was a movement in Oakland!” the Golden State Warriors star captioned a video of a “Walking in Unity” event that he and wife Ayesha Curry attended. It was organized by his Warriors teammate Juan Toscano-Anderson, whom he thanked for the leadership. “Everybody play your role and be consistent with it. This is a real moment of change.” He encouraged people to keep each other accountable. Meanwhile, she urged people to vote.

Nick Cannon

Cannon marched in Minneapolis wearing a hoodie that said, “Please I Can’t Breathe” and carrying a “Justice for Floyd” poster.

Keke Palmer

During a protest in L.A., the actress spoke with members of the National Guard. In a video captured by NBC’s Gadi Schwartz, she said, “You have a president talking about the Second Amendment as a use for people to come out here and use firearms against the people protesting. This is the message that we’re seeing.” Palmer explained that the guardsmen needed to see the protestors’ side. “We have a president that’s trying to incite a race war, and when the borders are closed. We can’t leave. You have people in here that need your help. This is when you and y’all can stand together with the community, with society, to stop the governmental oppression. Period. We need you.” While the video showed Palmer — and ultimately everyone else — urging the men to march with them, they said they couldn’t leave their station. They ended up kneeling with the crowd where they were as a compromise. The moment was a powerful one and led to calls for Palmer to run for office.

John Boyega

Star Wars actor Boyega grabbed the megaphone at a June 3 protest in his native London. “Black lives have always mattered,” he said in an emotional speech. “We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded regardless. And now is the time. I ain’t waiting.” He paid tribute to George Floyd and other black people who died following police encounters. “I’m speaking to you from my heart,” Boyega added. “Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*** that.”

Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer

The TV stars showed up together at an L.A. protest. “I’ve been sitting at home all week thinking about what it is that I can do,” Anderson said on a microphone. “I thought about giving money, which I have, but more importantly, my presence is something that needed to be felt and known, because it’s all about boots on the ground.” Anderson said that when he told Cedric the Entertainer that he planned to go to rally, the comedian answered, “I’m on my way to get you.”

Cynthia Bailey

Bailey, who audiences know from projects such as Star and Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens, made a family day of fighting for racial justice and equality. “Progress is being made, and we must continue to make our voices heard,” Bailey said. She added that she was “blown away by all the love & unity that surrounded me.”

Tessa Thompson

The Westworld actress shared video from Los Angeles protests where the crowd chanted, “This is our America!”

J. Cole

News crews in Fayetteville, Ark., spotted the musician protesting May 30 with a group in his hometown.

Kendrick Sampson

The Insecure actor said he was struck seven times by rubber bullets and his friend was with a baton while demonstrating in Los Angeles.

Kehlani

Singer Kehlani was part of the protests in L.A., and she captured snapshots of some of the chaos that followed. “Respect existence or expect resistance,” she wrote.

Chance the Rapper

HLN cameras captured the star holding the megaphone at a Minneapolis protest. “I think a lot of people look at me as a person that has money, that has influence, that has power, that doesn’t deal with a lot of issues,” he said. “But I still have PTSD from my run-ins with officers. I’ve had knees in my back.”

Harry Styles

Within days of Floyd’s death, the singer shared on social media that he had donated money to bail out protestors, and he encouraged others to do the same or even protest themselves. Styles was seen going further and taking to the streets of L.A.

Brad Pitt and Alia Shawkat

The pair attended a June 3 protest together in downtown L.A., according to ET. Shawkat reportedly appeared at protests earlier in the week, too.

Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes

In Miami, the two were photographed wearing masks and carrying signs by a Miami Herald reporter.

Lil Yachty

“I am no different from the next man,” he said into a megaphone at one of the many protests across the country. “Every voice matters and must be heard.”

Tinashe

Another West Coaster, Tinashe, even carried her sign on the freeway during a non-violent protest in downtown L.A. “We were there to protest police brutality and black lives, period,” she said.

Madonna

The superstar showed up at a Black Lives Matter protest at Los Angeles City Hall, which she said was to demand the resignation of L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey and grieve with mothers mourning the loss of their children to police brutality. “I cried for two hours feeling the anguish of the mothers who spoke but at the same time I saw hope in the leaders of this generation,” Madonna said.

Paris Jackson

The actress and model daughter of the late Michael Jackson documented her time marching with protesters and decried the violence that followed in some places. “Today started out so beautifully, seeing people come together with peace and harmony in their hearts,” Jackson wrote, “it broke my heart to see it all go up in flames.” She demanded, “peaceful protest only!!”

Porsha Williams

In Georgia, the Real Housewives of Atlanta star was part of a massive crowd chanting George Floyd’s name as they moved through the streets on May 30. She captioned photos and video of the day with simply, “We stand together.”

Rachel Lindsay

Lindsay, the first black star of the Bachelorette, spoke highly of her time protesting. “It was peaceful. It was beautiful,” Lindsay said on her podcast, Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay. “I heard beautiful speeches. It was beautiful to see so many people in unity marching and protesting for what they believed in and the injustices they’re facing in this country.” She added that what upset her is what she saw as she left – people a few blocks away who didn’t even seem to notice the protests.

Rachel Lindsay protested police brutality against black people. (Photo: Instagram)
Rachel Lindsay protested police brutality against black people. (Photo: Instagram)

Ariana Grande

Grande was disappointed about the news coverage of the day, which tended to focus on the looting that went on in some cities. “Hours and miles of peaceful protesting yesterday that got little to no coverage,” she pleaded May 31. “All throughout beverly hills and west hollywood we chanted, people beeped and cheered along. we were passionate, we were loud, we were loving. cover this too please.”

Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas

The actors participated in a June 2 protest in Venice, Calif., where Affleck carried a sheet of paper that read: “Black Lives Matter.” With a second sign, he supported a historically black church the owner wants to convert into residences.

Machine Gun Kelly

The rapper (aka Colson Baker) also went out to L.A. protests. He carried a sign that read, “Silence is betrayal.”

Cara Delevingne

In Los Angeles, the model held up a “Black Lives Matter” sign. She shared an image of it with the caption, “One step forward, but a long way to go.”

Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker

Rapper Kelly (aka Colson Baker) and Blink-182 drummer Barker both went out to L.A. protests. They then recorded a cover of Rage Against the Machine’s song “Killing in the Name” in a home studio and set it to images of people, including themselves, demanding racial justice with marches and signs.

Halsey and Yungblud

Halsey, whose real name is Ashley Frangipane, said police officers used gas and rubber bullets on her group.

Later, The Blast reported that Halsey and punk rocker Yungblud (real name: Dominic Harrison) wore rubber gloves and face masks while tending to others wounded by the cops.

Billy Eichner

The comedian turned out to rally for Black Lives Matter in L.A. “Not my first protest but this one was huge,” Eichner tweeted. “A life affirming and powerful experience. Also found myself shouting ‘No justice, no peace!’ as I walked on the Hollywood Walk of Fame star of six time Oscar nominee Deborah Kerr.”

Amanda Stanton

The Bachelor star took her 5- and 8-year-old daughters to a protest in Newport Beach, Calif. Although she received backlash for doing so, with people pointing out the violence that erupted at many of the events, Stanton explained that she didn’t make the decision lightly. She eventually chose to bring them so they could “learn from an early age to use their voice and exercise their rights to stand up for something that's so important,” according to E! News.

Tommy Dorfman

“The police have proven to not be in the interest of safety, especially for black people and people of color,” the 13 Reasons Why actor captioned video footage from a protest. “I saw this first hand today in los angeles, not for the first time, however it is a reminder.”

John Cuscak

Police came at the Say Anything star with batons during a May 30 protest, he said in a shaky video.

Matt McGorry

The Orange Is the New Black actor said that he was hit with a rubber bullet in the fray. McGorry, who is white, noted that he couldn’t even imagine what it’s like to deal with the cops as a black person. “Protests because of police brutality met with police brutality,” he said. “How fitting.”

Timotheé Chalamet

The actor was in Santa Monica, Calif., with a sign remembering Floyd and others who died in police violence.

Ellen Page

The Juno star was part of the crowd at a Brooklyn protest at the Barclays Center.

Cole Sprouse

The Riverdale star said he was arrested May 31 during a peaceful protest in Santa Monica, Calif. but he noted that the focus shouldn’t be on him. “It needs to be stated that as a straight white man, and a public figure, the institutional consequences of my detainment are nothing in comparison to others within the movement,” he said.

Madison Beer

On May 31, the singer also protested in Santa Monica, where she said she was hit with tear gas. She shared a photo of her glassy eyes and warned others to stay out of the area.

Madison Beer said police hit her with tear gas. (Photo: Instagram)
Madison Beer said police hit her with tear gas. (Photo: Instagram)

Jaime King

“Currently arrested for a peaceful protest. Writing in handcuffs in back of bus,” the former Hart of Dixie actress tweeted June 2. “EVERYONE WAS PEACEFUL. - Jaime and the rest of my sisters on this bus. 77th precinct.” King was reportedly part of the crowd protesting outside the home of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Kaia Gerber

Gerber turned over her Instagram account on June 5 to the Black Lives Matter Network’s International Ambassador Janaya Khan. But she also protested in L.A. “Silence is not an option. No is not an option,” Gerber insisted on Instagram. “No justice, no peace.”

Lily Collins

In West Hollywood, the actress joined a group of protestors as they laid on the ground and chanted, “I can’t breathe.”

Ashley Benson and G-Eazy

The rumored couple rallied together in San Francisco.

Jonah Hill

The actor, who protested in L.A., pointed fans to the George Floyd Memorial Fund and other causes they could support for racial justice.

Emily Ratajkowski

The model carried a sign that read, “DISMANTLE POWER STRUCTURES OF OPPRESSION.”

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: