Entertainment

Were the Most Charitable Celebrities of the Year Just Making Up for Bad Behavior?

Each year, DoSomething.org releases a list of the 20 most charitable celebrities to remind the star-obsessed that the too-rich, too-beautiful sect is also capable of being enormously generous. This year, there are a few shocking additions to the list, which makes us wonder if their philanthropy will outweigh their bad behavior in 2014. Charitable penance can only make up for so much, after all.

by Celeste Mora

#20 - His Royal Bieberness

Although you may know him for his terrible shenanigans and offensive exploits this year, the Biebs actually did a lot of good during his non-party times. He granted his 200th Make-A-Wish wish, setting a record for the charity. He also performed for Typhoon Haiyan victims, and gave money to a number of charities.

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#19 - Kendrick Lamar

He may be best known for provocative and sometimes socially-conscious lyrics, but Kendrick also helped in the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

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#18 - Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is killing it at OKC, making the Thunder an even better team. More impressive than his skills on the court, though, are his efforts to help his community when they need him. When a tornado hit Oklahoma City last year, Durant gave 1 million dollars for relief efforts, and convinced Nike to donate merchandise.

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#17 - Mindy!

Of course the fabulous Mindy Kaling has been busy keeping her show on the air, but she’s also made time for some awesome charity appearances. She is an outspoken supporter of Girls, Inc., an organization focused on empowering underprivileged girls. She has also made appearances at a number of other charity benefits, including Hilarity for Charity, where she performed to raise money for Alzheimer’s research and treatment.

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#16 - Blake Shelton

This The Voice judge hit all the right notes when he raised money for Oklahoma City tornado relief. He created “Healing the Heartland,” a benefit concert that raised $6 million for victims of the tornado.

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#15 - Demi Lovato

Demi has done a lot on The X-Factor this year, in addition to writing her first motivational book. She has also spent a lot of time, money, and energy on her favorite charity–Free the Children. She created a Charity Boutique on eBay to raise money for the education and foreign development charity, and is listed as one of their favorite ambassadors.

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#14 - Miley. Yes, THAT Miley.

Not surprisingly, Miley’s big act of charity involves flashing some skin. She recently posed lifting her shirt to reveal hearts covering her nipples in support of the documentary Free the Nipple, which takes a hard look at censorship of the female body.

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#13 - Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul

The Breaking Bad stars may be mean on the screen, but they showed some serious love to the anti-bullying charity The Kind Foundation. Their campaign on Omaze.com raised over $1.5 million for the Foundation in September.

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#12 - Alicia Keys

Alicia used her powerhouse voice for good this year when she headlined The Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, raising money for causes including ending poverty and women’s equality.

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#11 - JLaw

As if we needed another reason to love Katniss, Jennifer Lawrence is also a mighty warrior for causes in her hometown. She held a special screening of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in her native Louisville, Kentucky to benefit The Saint Mary’s Center, an organization that supports intellectually challenged people.

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#10 - Carrie Underwood

The hills are alive, with the sounds of philanthropy! Carrie donated $1 million dollars to rebuild her home state of Oklahoma after it was ravaged by tornadoes.

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#9 - Ryan Seacrest

You may not like the prevalence of Ryan-hosted programming this year, but you can’t argue with his commitment to arts education. His charity, The Ryan Seacrest Foundation, is committed to involving children in entertainment-focused education, and hopes to build media centers in children’s hospitals across the country.

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#8 - Ian Somerhalder

Apparently all attractive men on this list need their own charitable organization, since Ian Somerhalder (of Vampire Diaries hotness and fame) also has a nonprofit bearing his name. The Ian Somerhalder Foundation supports a variety of causes, from biodiversity to pet owner education.

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#7 - Kerry Washington

Since Kerry is probably the classiest lady on television, her charitable efforts are equally high-brow: she serves on the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, advocating for arts education in the US.

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#6 - Sandra Bullock

She’s one of the best leading ladies this year, but Sandra has long been a recognized philanthropist. She supports multiple charities, and has been recognized for her giving on multiple occasions.

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#5 - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have often been recognized for their inclusive lyrics, which challenge the hip hop community (and its listeners) to accept all sorts of members. Their song on the subject, “Same Love,” was recognized at the VMA’s for being socially conscious, and has sparked a conversation about LGBT issues.

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#4 - Paul Walker

Paul Walker will be remembered for many great things, but one of the greatest is his commitment to disaster relief. He founded Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), which assembles skilled volunteers (such as medical professionals) to aid areas hit by natural disasters. Let’s hope that ROWW can be a large part of his enduring legacy.

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#3 - Queen Bey

Although Beyoncé’s Chime for Change concert in London was somewhat controversial, it raised a lot of money for women’s education, health, and empowerment worldwide. Queen Bey also supports a long list of charities and causes each year, showing that her philanthropy is also irreplaceable.

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#2 - One Direction

1D has been winning thousands of hearts and raising thousands of dollars this year. Their single for Red Nose Day raised thousands for underprivileged children in Africa and the UK.

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#1 - Taylor Swift

Tay tay has won the title of “Most Charitable Celebrity” two years in a row now, and for good reason. She supports a bevy of nonprofits, including DonateMyDress.org, which she donated her prom dress to in 2009. This year, she headlined an event for Centrepoint, gave $100,000 to the Nashville Symphony on her birthday, and gave her famous Keds from the Red Tour to a charity auction. Im’a let you finish, but Taylor Swift is doing this charity thing right.

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