Covering entertainment means that on any given weeknight, you might end up in a room with some of the most powerful women in Hollywood. That was the scene Wednesday night at Variety's annual Power of Women event in Beverly Hills, which honored Sharon Stone, Melissa McCarthy and Jennifer Hudson, among others. You're in a ballroom at the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel, seated at a table with the evening's host, comedian Iliza Shlesinger.
Stone is sitting right behind you. Then someone makes a beautiful noise into a microphone. You look around and realize it came from Hudson herself, warming up the room before her rendition of "I Will Always Love You," a tribute to the late Dolly Parton.
Just a regular Wednesday in Hollywood. The event, presented by Lifetime, celebrated women leading the entertainment industry for their work and for the causes they champion. Every honoree was part of Variety's annual Women's Impact Report.
Pearlena Igbokwe, who oversees NBCUniversal Television Studios, NBC Entertainment and Peacock Scripted, spotlighted A Better Chance, an organization that gives high-achieving students of color access to a better education. For her, the cause is personal. "[A Better Chance] set me up for an Ivy League education, transforming the trajectory of my life and that of my entire family," Igbokwe said.
"So yes, my origin story started with hard work, but someone had to give me an opportunity. No one achieves anything alone." Summer House star Paige DeSorbo was honored for bravely opening up about a past abusive relationship on her podcast, Giggly Squad. She used her moment to champion the Purina Purple Leash Project, a partnership with RedRover that helps domestic abuse survivors escape and expands the number of pet-friendly shelters.
"[Pets] don't need us to explain what we're going through," DeSorbo said. They give us a sense of safety and remind us that we are loved, even when we don't feel our strongest. And that's why the Purple Leash Project means so much to me." Then it was Hudson's turn, with both her and The Jennifer Hudson Show taking home honors.
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