“There’s Something About Mary” star Ben Stiller raised some eyebrows with his remarks during a three-hour livestream to support Vice President Kamala Harris’ U.S. presidential campaign.
After explaining his reasons for backing Harris in the 2024 election against Donald Trump, the actor mentioned the Oakland-born Democratic nominee’s racial background and his own Jewish heritage.
In a clip circulating online, Stiller agrees to match the $150,000 in donations that had already been raised. After gloating about his past movie roles, he said “You can trust me,” before expressing how excited he is about the first U.S. woman president.
‘Vice President Kamala can win this thing if we all rally around and really take advantage of this incredible energy that’s happening,” the 58-year-old stated before noting he wants a president who doesn’t lie and that values democracy over themselves.
“It’s going to be the first woman president and that’s incredibly exciting. She’s Indian, she’s Black, she’s everything. You can be more than one thing, it’s incredible,” Stiller stated on the Comics for Kamala Zoom video conference on Aug. 5.
The Primetime Emmy Award winner also added, “I’m Jewish and Irish. I wish I was Black, every white Jewish guy wishes he was Black.”
Stiller’s comments about “white Jewish” men wanting to be Black received negative reactions online. X users slammed the Hollywood insider from multiple angles.
One person asked, “What kind of bs pandering is this,” while another person said, “Lying…you don’t wish you was black at all Foh now y’all just tryna say what you think we want to hear.”
Another wrote, “They always go too far…please relax Ben.”
Even Stiller’s non-Black counterparts took issue, with one X user suggesting, “Alright. It’s time for Ben to give up all his possessions and money to black people. It’s only right.”
Ben Stiller: “I wish I was black, every white Jewish guy wishes he was black.”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 6, 2024
pic.twitter.com/3gDnl8nuBN
Other commenters suggested the “Madagascar” star was looking for clout because his acting career is on the decline. For example, a critic tweeted, “He didn’t have to say as many words to let everyone know he’s washed up.”
Another X user joked, “I think Ben lost too many girlfriends to Black guys.” Additionally, Stiller’s possible attempt at humor got called out, “I think he was trying to be funny, but it was so dry and lamely delivered, it wasn’t funny.”
Rep. Eric Swalwell of California organized the Comics for Kamala fundraising event. Whoopi Goldberg, Tiffany Haddish, D.L. Hughley, Kathy Griffin, John Stamos, Mark Hamill, Jon Hamm, and other celebrities were among the attendees.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Comics for Kamala raised over $532,000 for the Harris campaign.
Previously, other groups such as Win with Black Women, Win with Black Men, Out for Kamala Harris, White Women: Answer the Call, and White Dudes for Harris held fundraising virtual rallies for the Democratic politician.
X owner Elon Musk recently faced backlash after the social media platform reportedly suspended the White Dudes for Harris account. Musk is an outspoken advocate for Donald Trump and a donor to the Republican Party.
“We scared @elonmusk and @DonaldJTrumpJr so much tonight they suspended our account and won’t let us back in. These guys are running scared of the success we’ve had tonight, but we’re not going to quit,” Mike Nellis, a founder of White Dudes For Harris, tweeted on July 29.
The @dudes4harris X page is currently active. Over the last 24 hours, White Dudes for Harris has been enthusiastically promoting the newly announced Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket.
Kamala Harris officially selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Aug. 6. The Democrats face off against former President Donald Trump and his vice-presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance, in the 2024 presidential election.
