TRENDING

We know what you're probably thinking: Why would someone give away their *entire* salary? Timothée Chalamet's reasoning is connected to the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements.

The 22-year-old—who's received a great deal of buzz this year for his work in indie films-turned-Oscar contenders Call Me By Your Name and Lady Bird—says he does not want to profit from his work on the upcoming flick A Rainy Day in New York with Selena Gomez from director Woody Allen.

After the Golden Globes last week, Chalamet received some criticism for his seemingly contradictory decision to wear all black in support of #TimesUp—the movement created to eradicate sexual assault, harassment and inequality, specifically in the workplace—despite having worked with Allen on the film last year. In the early 1990s, Allen was accused by his then-7-year-old daughter, Dylan Farrow, of sexually molesting her. While he was never charged with a crime, Allen continues to work in the entertainment industry rather than be shunned like those who have been accused of similar indiscretions. Farrow, now 32, has maintained her accusations for more than 20 years and continues to publicly question why the #MeToo movement has spared her father.

In a statement posted to his Instagram account last night, Chalamet noted that "having witnessed the birth of a powerful movement intent on ending injustice, inequality and above all, silence," he does not want to profit from the film, and thus will be donating his "entire salary to three charities: TIME'S UP, The LGBT Center of New York, and [Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network]."

Why these charities? The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund provides legal representation and support to women and men who have experienced harassment, abuse or assault in the workplace. Often times, victims of assault do not press charges against their assailants simply because they cannot afford the legal fees. The fund allows them to do so.

LGBT folks face a greater risk of experiencing sexual assault, and the LGBT Center of New York (where Chalamet is from) provides LGBT New Yorkers with an empowering community to help them lead healthy, successful lives. Meanwhile, RAINN is the largest anti-sexual assault organization in the United States. For every dollar donated to RAINN, 93 cents goes directly to its programs and services for victims, such as their 24-hour national sexual assault hotline.

Chalamet ended his statement by saying: "I want to be worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with the brave artists who are fighting for people to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve." It's possible that he was also inspired by his Rainy Day costar Rebecca Hall to to make this move in the first place. Last week the actress pledged to give her earnings to the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund.  

Why else is his move so significant? It's a reminder that just because someone is young, that doesn't mean they don't have a voice or that they can't make a difference. It also puncuates something greater: that continually listening to and supporting the brave women and men who share their stories is incredibly important—more important than any amount of money.  

You can read Timothée's entire Instagram post below.

 

A post shared by Timothée Chalamet (@tchalamet) on Jan 15, 2018 at 8:51pm PST

What do you think of Timothée Chalamet donating his salary to charity? Do you think he did the right thing? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Photo credit: LRNYC/MEGA

by Sydney Adamson | 1/16/2018