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From Zac Efron’s surprise appearance to Rumer Willis’ emotional performance, A-list celebrities made the amFAR Gala in Venice a night to remember.
The star-studded Sunday, September 1, event was hosted by Kate Beckinsale, whom an eyewitness exclusively tells Us Weekly looked “very regal” while fulfilling her duties.
Efron made an unexpected appearance at the event, which was held at the Hangar Nicelli in Venice. Efron’s surprise showing came one month after he was hospitalized for an accident while swimming in Ibiza. The insider adds that Efron was “happy to be there.”
The amfAR gala, which is an annual fundraising event that supports AIDS and HIV research, was partially sponsored by RUMOR Rosé. “It’s always an honor to collaborate with amfAR in supporting such an important cause,” founder and CEO of RUMOR Rosé Barry Bayat tells Us. (Guest Richard Gere was seen sipping on the beverage during the evening.)
Scroll down for an inside look at the amfAR Gala:
Honoring the Past
During her introduction at the soirée, Beckinsale led a round of applause for cofounder Elizabeth Taylor.
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The Legacy of ‘Philadelphia’
Antonio Banderas looked loved up with his partner, Nicole Kimpel, as they walked the red carpet at the event. While accepting the Global Impact Award, Banderas reflected on making the award-winning 1993 movie Philadelphia.
“We actors have a beautiful privilege because of our profession, just to step in universes and worlds that don’t belong to us,” he said. “In ’93, Jonathan Demme invited me to be part of Philadelphia. I didn’t know the impact the movie was going to have. AIDS/HIV was a taboo. It was a taboo in our professional world, too — in Hollywood, not many people spoke about that.”
He continued: “There was a party in the movie, many extras were there, we were shooting two to three days. Eighty percent of the extras were HIV-positive. I said to one of them, ‘I’ll see you at the premiere.’ And he looked at me and he says, ‘No, I’m not going to make it to the premiere. But things are going to happen in the future that [are] going to save people like I am right now.’ It was almost like a prediction. It happens thanks to organizations like amfAR.”
Banderas, who gushed that costar Tom Hanks could make a lot of people laugh while filming, noted that there was a bigger message behind Philadelphia.
“The movie got two Oscars, but the real award of that movie was to create awareness about the situation of thousands of people all around the world — not only them, but their families, their friends, their coworkers,” he said.
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Richard Gere’s Tearful Tribute
Gere’s wife, Alejandra Silva, and his oldest son, Homer, were by his side the whole night. While accepting the prize for Award of Inspiration, which was presented to him by Eva Longoria, Gere got emotional.
“I’m of two minds about this because I haven’t specifically been working with amfAR for many years now. One of the reasons is because it’s almost too painful. I think I’m the oldest guy in the room here — I remember what it was like in 1980, ’81, ’82 when there was this disease they were calling ‘gay cancer,’ and how horrific that was … living in New York and your friends were getting sick,” he said. “The community I was living in, entertainers, actors, dancers, and writers … a large percentage [were members of the gay community]. It was devastating.”
He continued: “Today I didn’t want to remember it, to tell you the truth, because I lost so many friends and loved ones in that time.”
Gere tearfully recalled his friendship with “dearest, closest” pal Herb Ritts, who was a fashion photographer. After Ritts said he had AIDS, Gere recalled the twosome embracing.
“We held each other. Herb didn’t tell many people he was sick,” Gere recalled. “But he had access to the very best of care.” Ritts died in 2002.
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Zac Efron’s Surprise Showing
The eyewitness tells Us Efron was “super generous” with his time with guests and rocked sunglasses throughout the dinner.
At the event, Efron told Us that he “sometimes” keeps up with the wrestling world, specifically AEW, after filming The Iron Claw. The actor noted that some people involved in the 2023 drama work in AEW.
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Rumer Willis’ Potentially Pointed Performance
Willis performed the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” followed by a “really emotional” cover of Adele’s “I Drink Wine,” the eyewitness shares.
“You better believe for you, I’ve cried / High tides / ‘Cause I want you so bad, but you can’t fight fire with fire,” the lyrics read. The insider adds that Willis, who recently announced her split from boyfriend Derek Richard Thomas, “really brought the emotions out of the lyrics.”
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Kelly Rowland Wows the Crowd
Kelly Rowland closed out the night by singing a medley of her tracks “Dilemma,” “Like This” and “When Love Takes Over,” Destiny’s Child tunes “Say My Name” and “Bootylicious” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
Per the eyewitness, Rowland “got everyone on their feet” during her performance.
With reporting by Tufayel Ahmed