Martha Stewart has spoken out about the current climate in the United States.
The star took to her social media days after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitator in Minneapolis – and weeks after Renee Good was also shot and killed during an encounter with an ICE officer.
Stewart credited her 14-year-old granddaughter, Jude Stewart, for nudging her to speak out about the ICE protests that have erupted in the Minnesota city, as well as protests held across the U.S.
The bestselling author, 84, shared an excerpt of her granddaughter's text message, which read: "I'm not sure it's excusable to not be speaking up right now."
Stewart shared the screenshot of the text, with her own caption on top, writing: "My granddaughter wrote this to me yesterday and she is fourteen and sensitive to what is going on in our country as we all should be."
She added, "I am disheartened and sad each and every day that we cannot demonstrate our sympathy for the beleaguered, that we are told immigrants, which most of us are or descended from are unwelcome, that we cannot show our frustration in peaceful demonstrations and that we can be attacked and even killed by Federal troops. Things must and have to change quickly and peacefully."
The star noted beneath the photo statement: "Granddaughter Jude wrote me a note yesterday I took it to heart and posted the above."
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Pop star Katy Perry shared resources on her Instagram encouraging her 201 million followers to take action as protests continue in Minnesota.
"Turn anger into ACTION," she captioned the post.
Perry urged her followers to call their senators before Jan. 31 in order to block ICE funding. The post included suggestions about what to say on the phone when speaking to representatives in Congress.
Meanwhile, Valerie Bertinelli touched on the topic of immigration in a post dedicated to her late ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen, on what would have been his 71st birthday.
Eddie, who died at age 65 in October 2020 after battling cancer, was born in the Netherlands and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1960s – eventually forging a successful rock career with his band Van Halen.
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Bertinelli wrote in the caption, "You came to America as a young child, knowing only three words in English, playing music with your father and brother on the boat that carried you here. An immigrant who changed the face of music and left his legacy in a light that continues to shine. Happy birthday, Ed," adding a heart emoji.
Fans applauded Bertiinelli for highlighting Eddie being an immigrant, with one person writing, "Love that you highlighted that he was an immigrant for those who don't understand how much immigrants add to the fabric of USA."
Another commenter wrote, "Happy birthday to one of the millions of immigrants who made America more beautiful in many ways! God bless the memory of Ed and all who gave us so much glorious life and creativity in a free country!"
"Such a beautiful post Valerie. I can't imagine how difficult & scary it was for Eddie & Alex to come to a strange place being so young and & not knowing English. Eddie's an icon who put smiles on fan's faces across the world for decades. Eddie you'll always be missed and loved," a fan penned. Bertinelli liked the comment.
Her son Wolfgang also wrote: "Love you, Ma," adding a heart emoji.
