Jennifer Coolidge may not have been on the list for Wednesday night’s Green Carpet Fashion Awards at the 1 Hotel West Hollywood, but no matter.
The invite-only, pre-Oscars event, which was co-chaired by Zendaya, Annie Lennox and Helen Hunt and honored John Legend and Donatella Versace, welcomed Coolidge at the last minute.
“I am sort of an imposter here tonight,” the “White Lotus” star told the crowd. “I am just staying in the hotel. I didn’t know about this. I didn’t know it existed. I didn’t know how incredible [it is]. I got in on this in a sneaky little way. I just want you to know I am so impressed. And I am going to give some money tonight. I made great friends.”
Coolidge proclaimed her “love” for Versace as she and “Loot” star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez presented the designer with the 2024 Game Changer Honor in recognition of her service to the global LGBTQ community.
Legend serenaded the audience with a brief performance of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” while accepting an award for his work on criminal justice reform. “I want every activist here to remember that a huge part of your job is to listen, to listen to other people. Listen to their struggles. Listen to their voices. Listen to their priorities,” the EGOT winner said. “And if you have an opportunity to uplift their priorities, to platform their voices, to amplify their voices, use that platform to do that. That’s how we make progress together. That’s how we make change together.”
The guest list also included former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, along with Amber Valletta, Law Roach, Trudie Styler, Chrissy Teigen, Bobi Wine, Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq, Kalpona Akter, Quannah Chasinghorse, Vanessa Nakate, and Sônia Guajajara.
“The reason why we are here at the Oscars is that it’s the biggest communication platform in the world. And you want to hijack this platform for a bigger conversation,” Green Carpet Fashion Awards founder Livia Firth told Variety on the red carpet early in the evening about the organization that unites the power of fashion and entertainment for positive transformation. “For me, to have the support of Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, and Zendaya is incredible and phenomenal. But the most important thing and the biggest joy for me and satisfaction is to have the support and the opportunity to give this platform to all these young leaders and indigenous leaders. This event is for them.”