Julia Roberts was among the high-profile figures who used Sunday night to make a public case for free speech, appearing at a New York City concert centered on the First Amendment while President Donald Trump hosted his Freedom 250 UFC event on the White House lawn.
At the Rise Up, Sing Out concert, Roberts, 58, delivered a message of resilience and calm. According to the Washington Examiner, she encouraged the crowd to “breathe in all that hope” and “breathe out all that fear.”
The event was organized by the Committee for the First Amendment, and its political tone was underscored by the involvement of partner groups No Kings and Indivisible, both of which have been associated with opposition to Trump.
Roberts was part of a star-studded lineup that included Jane Fonda, former MSNBC host Joy Reid, The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri, Tessa Thompson, Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone and music legend Patti Smith.
In a visible nod to Fonda, Roberts wore a T-shirt bearing the actress’s name and image in a design reminiscent of Shepard Fairey’s iconic Obama “Hope” poster. She paired it with a gray seersucker sport coat, rolling the sleeves to reveal a red, white and blue striped lining.
Roberts also acknowledged the sense of fatigue many people feel when confronting the political climate. “We all feel like, ‘I can’t turn the news on, I don’t want to hear it,’” she said. “But we have to hear it; we have to face it. But if we keep inhaling and exhaling, we will prevail.”
Julia Roberts joined a parade of stars offering a defense of the First Amendment as counterprogramming to President Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 UFC match at NYC’s Rise Up, Sing Out concert, which was put on by the Committee for the First Amendment
‘We all feel like, “I can’t turn the news on, I don’t want to hear it,”‘ Roberts said, according to the Washington Examiner. ‘But we have to hear it; we have to face it. But if we keep inhaling and exhaling, we will prevail’
The Committee for the First Amendment has a storied history and a familial connection to the evening’s host, Jane Fonda.
The organization was founded back in 1947 by a quartet of Hollywood icons: The Maltese Falcon director John Huston, The Best Years Of Our Lives director William Wyler, How Green Was My Valley screenwriter Phillip Dunne and actress Myrna Loy, who was best known for starring in the popular Thin Man mystery series.
Its membership was a who’s-who of liberal stars opposing the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearings, including Fonda’s father, The Grapes Of Wrath star Henry Fonda.
The committee later went fallow as members tried to avoid being blacklisted by film studios, but Jane Fonda revived the organization in response to Donald Trump’s election to a second term.
Fonda wore a white shirt reading ‘resist’ on the chest, along with contrasting crimson slacks.
She stepped back on stage at one point to allow Edebiri to speak.
The comedian and star of The Bear dressed down a black blazer with a white shirt and a baseball cap.
When it was her turn at the podium, Reid favored a brilliant white suit and a matching low-cut blouse.
Jane Fonda’s father Henry was a member of the original Committee for the First Amendment, which was founded in 1947 in opposition to HUAC. She later revived the organization in 2025
Fonda was joined at one point by the comedian and The Bear star Ayo Edebiri
Joy Reid favored an elegant white suit with a matching low-cut blouse
Tessa Thompson stayed on the same theme and rocked a tan double-breasted suit with concealed jacket buttons. She appeared to go topless under that jacket, and she wore her long raven hair down in waves
Patti Smith was pictured displaying a joyous smile and raising her fist in the air in a sign of power and solidarity. She wore a simple black sport coat with black jeans and a cream-colored blouse
Lily Gladstone, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her acclaimed performance opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s western crime epic Killers Of The Flower Moon, wore a dark brown canvas jacket with a corduroy collar and black jeans
Beloved children’s entertainer and YouTube Ms. Rachel wore her standard uniform of a pink T-shirt and denim overalls for a performance on stage with the Peace Poets
Tessa Thompson stayed on the same theme and rocked a tan double-breasted suit with concealed jacket buttons.
She appeared to go topless under that jacket, and she wore her long raven hair down in waves.
Patti Smith was pictured displaying a joyous smile and raising her fist in the air in a sign of power and solidarity.
She wore a simple black sport coat with black jeans and a cream-colored blouse.
Actress Lily Gladstone – who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her acclaimed performance opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s western crime epic Killers Of The Flower Moon – wore a dark brown canvas jacket with a corduroy collar and black jeans.
The beloved children’s entertainer and YouTube Ms. Rachel wore her standard uniform of a pink T-shirt and denim overalls for a performance on stage with the Peace Poets.
Also making an appearance at the concert was one of Trump’s most vociferous critics, Robert De Niro.
‘Welcome to all of you who couldn’t get tickets to the White House cage fight,’ he joked on stage, according to the Examiner.
‘When I hear something I don’t like, I use my own free speech to respond,’ the Oscar winner continued. ‘Let me give you an example: when I hear Trump say, as he did a few days ago, “I don’t care about Americans’ financial situation, not even a little bit,” I say, “Shut the f*** up.”‘
