From Taylor Swift paying for a fan’s school tuition to Paul Walker buying a $9,000 engagement ring for two strangers, these thoughtful acts from famous celebrities truly left a mark.
Celebrities often feel hard to reach because of their fame and status, but at the end of the day, they’re still people—and therefore capable of great acts of kindness. Whether it’s helping out their colleagues, doing a favor for a pair of strangers, or simply lending a helping hand to marginalized communities, these stars have done their part in making the world a better, kinder place for those around them.
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Taylor Swift: Valuing A Fan’s Education
Taylor Swift is no stranger to generous acts of kindness: despite being a billionaire, and perhaps one of the most successful musicians of her generation, she continues to inspire those around her through philanthropy.
Even earlier into her career, the singer-songwriter went out of her way to help one of her superfans pay off her student loan debt. Back in 2019, 20-year-old Ayesha Khurram—who was a sophomore at University of Waterloo—made a post on the social platform Tumblr to let out her sadness and frustration over her living situation. Her parents were both minimum wage workers, with her mother suffering from a kidney disease, which made paying for her college tuition and rent all the more difficult, as Megan Stone and Hayley FitzPatrick of Good Morning America report.
Surprisingly, Taylor Swift—who was active on Tumblr at the time—saw the post, which contained Khurram’s PayPal information, and deposited all the necessary funds ($4,800) under her Taylor Nation LLC company account. She also attached a note saying: “Ayesha, get your learn on girl. I love you! Taylor.”
“What she did for my parents right now…I have no words. They were going to try to get loans. Because $1.7k tuition and $780 per month rent isn’t an easy thing to ask of your parents,” Khurram wrote on another post after receiving the donation. “And Taylor Swift took that stress from my parents, my world, and I have never seen them cry/laugh the way they are right now. She has made my family happy through music for years and now through something we could never, ever have imagined or hoped for. I truly do not have words and I will never, ever be able to repay her for the love and kindness she has shown me right now.”
Paul Walker: A Thoughtful Secret Purchase
Paul Walker, famously known for his roles in the Fast & Furious franchise, sadly passed away in 2013 in a tragic car accident. While he left the world too early, his act of kindness remained ingrained in the hearts of a random couple he encountered in 2004.
At the time, Kyle Upham and his fianceé Kristen were looking for a diamond engagement ring at a jewelry store in Santa Barbara, as Eliana Dockterman of Time details. Upham is an Iraq war veteran, and at the time was about to be deployed for a second tour of duty.
“I noticed there was someone else in there, but didn’t give it much thought, and we started looking at rings and whatnot, and he kept saying, ‘Go bigger’ and I kept saying, ‘No, look at the prices,’” Kristen tells Dockterman in an interview.
They eventually recognized Walker and struck up a conversation with him, where the actor learned about Upham’s upcoming deployment, adds Jenn Selby in an article for The Independent. Though the couple were eyeing a $9,000 ring, they eventually left the store without it, as they didn’t have the appropriate funds at the time.
However, shortly after they left, the sales assistant called them and asked them to return to the store so they could pick up the ring. It turns out Walker found the store manager and asked to have the ring put “on his tab” — but he asked the sales clerk not to tell them it was him.
The fact remained a secret for years, until Waker’s untimely death, when the clerk finally told the truth in an interview with CBS.
“It’s still to this day the most generous thing anyone has ever done for me,” Kristen continues in her interview with Time.
Danny DeVito: The Uncle Who Stepped Up
Danny DeVito has starred in countless memorable roles, including the curmudgeonly, scam-artist Harry Wormwood in the 1996 adaptation of Roahl Dahl’s Matilda. Here, he plays the less-than-understanding (and neglectful) father of the bright titular character, played by then-child star Mara Wilson. However, this relationship was far from reality, as DeVito turned out to be a loving uncle figure to Wilson on set.
As Sophie McEvoy and Rachel Cash of The List reveal, Wilson was struggling through her mother Suzie’s battle with breast cancer during filming. The set was a place of joy and peace for the mother and daughter, with DeVito and his co-star Rhea Perlman (who happens to be his real wife) taking care of the young Wilson whenever Suzie was at the hospital, according to Gregory Cerio in an article for People.
In a 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Wilson shared how DeVito would always give her hugs on set, tell jokes and riddles, and overall ensure she had a good time, with his wife Rhea showing nothing but kindness to her as well.
Sadly, Suzie’s condition worsened in the months before the film’s release, and she passed away in April 1996. However, before then, DeVito made sure to show the mother an uncut version of the film, according to Calum Russell of Far Out. He revealed this to Wilson years later, when she expressed her sadness at the fact that her mother never saw the film. Thanks to DeVito, Suzie got to see her daughter shine—an act of kindness not lost on Wilson, and the many people who’ve heard about the touching story.
Jon Bon Jovi: Hearty Meals For All
Singer-songwriter Jon Bon Jovi isn’t just a musical legend behind countless hits—he’s also a man with firm principles who believes that everyone has the right to a good meal. That’s why he opened the Jon Bon Jovi (JBJ) Soul Kitchen—a community kitchen where “all are welcome to the table,” serving dishes with locally-sourced ingredients, where “dignity and respect are always on the menu.”
Business Insider writer Victoria Montalti described her visit to the New Jersey restaurant as the “most wholesome dining experience” of her life. Menu items don’t have prices, aiming to feed in-need customers through donations and volunteer staff. Customers who choose to pay make $30 and $20 dollar donations through their meal, quite literally paying it forward for those who can’t afford it. The kitchen has been around for nearly 13 years now, and has served 198, 212 meals, 43% of which were paid through donations with 57% earned through volunteering.
Lady Gaga: A Friend To The Queer Community
Lady Gaga stands as one of the reigning queens of pop, yet this doesn’t stop her from helping those who are often silenced, especially a community as marginalized as homeless LGBT+ youth.
In 2016, the singer visited teenagers in the Ali Forney Centre, a shelter housing homeless LGBTQ+ youth. During her time there, she offered words of kindness and support, sharing her own struggles with mental illness—specifically post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), something she never shared with anyone until then, as Anna Cafolla of Dazed reports. It’s a particularly meaningful act, as Gaga has long been an avid supporter of the queer community through her Born This Way Foundation, as well as a symbol of comfort for many of its members.
“You are brave, you are courageous,” she told them in a guided meditation circle. The pop star understands how powerful this simple act of kindness can be, as she shared in an interview with The Guardian: “The kindness that’s been shown to me by doctors, as well as my family and my friends…it’s really saved my life.”
Banner photo via Instagram @paulwalker.
