18 November 2018
Newsdesk
Gerard Butler has held a star-studded fundraiser to help rebuild homes devastated by the California wildfires.
After his Malibu home was partially damaged due to the Woolsey Fire - one of three wildfires that have forced thousands of residents to evacuate from their homes - the 300 actor hosted the event at the home of his girlfriend, Morgan Brown, on Friday evening (16Nov18) to help fund the rebuilding process throughout the Malibu community.
During the night, celebrities including Jamie Foxx, Sean Penn, Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, Minnie Driver, The Edge and Robin Thicke - who lost his home to the Woolsey Fire - helped to raise more than $2 million (£1.55 million) for The Malibu Foundation.
In a clip shared by foundation representatives on Instagram, Butler, 49, spoke about how hard it has been for parents in the area to "try and explain to their kids" what happened.
"We're here tonight to try and remedy that situation," he added. "Thank you all so much for coming."
Music legend Van Morrison performed his classic hit Brown Eyed Girl at the event, with Oscar winner Foxx singing backing vocals, while Penn thanked the firefighters "who saved our homes" and "who risked their lives" in the process.
Thicke also performed a rendition of the Ben E. King track, Stand by Me.
The Blurred Lines hitmaker's appearance comes just days after the Malibu home he shared with girlfriend April Love Geary, 23, and their eight-month-old daughter Mia, was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire.
He has since urged his fans and followers to donate to the Red Cross, and encouraged them to help local fire stations. At present, 74 people have been killed in the fires, while over 1,000 people remain unaccounted for. The blazes are around 50 per cent contained.
