Celebrities donate millions to Clinton camp and shun Trump
As the White House election gets closer, the gulf between Hollywood's support for the Democrats and the Republicans widens.
Thursday 27 October 2016 12:36, UK
Hillary Clinton is doing much better out of celebrities than her Republican rival, with stars giving away millions and throwing fundraisers for the Democrat.
According to an independent research group, Hollywood actors, studio executives and musicians have donated $20.7m (£17m) to the Clinton camp since the start of the campaign.
Donald Trump raised less than $350,000 (£286,000) from the entertainment industry.
"The Clintons have always been Hollywood darlings," said Usman Shaikh, a Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney, "going back to Bill's term in office".
By the autumn of 2015, at the start of the campaign, a group of high-profile celebrities had already thrown their support behind Mrs Clinton by donating $5.5m.
When actor George Clooney announced he was backing the Democrat, he hosted back-to-back dinners reportedly raising over $15m.
Film titans Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg gave $1m each, while Star Wars director J.J. Abrams stumped up $500,000.
Actors, studio executives and musicians have historically leaned more towards the Democrats, but Mr Trump has faced an unprecedented onslaught of negativity from the entertainment industry.
Actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement on Twitter saying he would not be voting Republican for the first time since gaining US citizenship in 1983.
Former head of MGM Harry Sloan, a lifelong Republican, has announced he is backing Mrs Clinton and even donating to her campaign.
In September, some of America's biggest stars, including actors Robert Downey Jr and Scarlett Johansson, appeared in a video urging voters not to support Mr Trump.
"I just think culturally he's a very different fit from Hollywood," said Steve Maviglio, an LA-based political consultant.
"On so many of his issues, he's just too extreme, particularly on women's issues".
The unpopularity of the Republican candidate in California turned into vandalism less than two weeks before the election.
Los Angeles police are investigating a pre-dawn attack that destroyed the Republican candidate's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A man who identified himself as Jamie Otis claimed responsibility for the damage.
In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, Otis said he wanted to auction the star to raise funds for the women accusing the presidential candidate of sexual assault.
Mr Trump got his Hollywood star in 2007 in recognition of his work on NBC's reality TV show The Apprentice.