As a big fan of 90s series like Charmed And Melrose Square (and all their cheesy counterparts), I have followed the careers of many stars with joy. I can’t say that Alyssa Milan hasn’t been in a particularly compelling TV show or movie lately, but maybe that’s because she spends so much time talking about politics.
No one was thrilled when Elon Musk bought Twitter and renamed it X (and all the problematic things that have happened since, like Musk’s recent letter to advertisers). However, Milano angered a lot of people when she said in a November 2022 episode The view that Musk could have given $40 billion to UNICEF instead of buying an entire social media platform. In her own words, she said:
“I’m so annoyed with all these billionaires – except for a few – but especially Elon Musk. They buy Twitter to destroy it for $40 billion. $40 billion! Imagine if Elon Musk donated that money to UNICEF. He would change the world. There would be no more hunger.”
Some X users are fans of Musk and naturally hated what the actress had to say. It’s easy to guess how they vote, but I digress. It’s almost guaranteed that any time Musk is criticized, his army of fanboys are ready to attack. Some, like @iwanttovote3, pointed out that the star is a big spender and could practice what she preaches: “Imagine if Alyssa Milano stopped using Botox and dying her hair and fired her makeup artist.” Because all of those things are surely worth $40 billion.
X-user @LairdOfTheManor called Milano a “mediocre actress” and said Hollywood stars are unnecessary, unlike public servants who are in the business of helping people, such as farmers, doctors and teachers. While these jobs are of course necessary, I’m not a fan of the argument that celebrities shouldn’t have political opinions. It’s also completely wrong to say that acting isn’t a worthy profession, but that’s another topic. (As Joan Didion said, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”)
First of all, Milano isn’t wrong. Musk has a net worth of over $200 billion, and he could very well donate a small portion of that money to a long list of worthy causes. His charitable giving is questionable at best, because according to Business Insider, nearly 50% of the money he donated in 2021 and 2022 was somehow tied to his companies, which isn’t nice to hear. But does anyone really expect Musk to end world hunger? Given his track record as a businessman and human being (just think of his dating history and all the kids he doesn’t seem to really care about), I wouldn’t expect him to show compassion anytime soon. And does the world really want the man who developed the Cybertruck to try to end world hunger? No thanks.
Second, it’s a fair point to assume that Milano has enough money to spread the wealth around. According to Celebrity Net Worth, her net worth is estimated to be around $4 million. While that doesn’t even come close to what Musk has in the bank, it’s enough to keep her from having to start a GoFundMe campaign for her kids to play sports that one odd time.
But while some celebrities should definitely do more to help others (and no, dressing up for a charity dinner doesn’t count), Milano has been a political activist for some time. X-user @BrianDWestman pointed out, “She’s been an ambassador for UNICEF for 20 years,” adding, “So she walks the talk.” People reported on many of Milano’s UNICEF trips in 2022. This organization is obviously close to her heart.
While I don’t think she should ever run for Congress, as Deadline reported she was considering it in 2021, I have no problem with the Charmed Actress speaks out about Musk. It was also hilarious when she tweeted that she got rid of her Tesla. Even though she has more money than most people, no one can argue with her opinion that billionaires have too much power and not enough compassion.
