Why Leo DiCaprio has donated over $13 million to Ukraine
Actor Leo DiCaprio has donated over $13 million to support Ukraine in their fight against the Russian invasion.
The 47-year-old star has personal ties to the besieged country, with his maternal grandmother hailing from Ukraine.
His grandmother, Helene Indenbirken was born in the southern Ukraine city of Odesa, before migrating to Germany with her parents in 1917.
Leo was very close with his grandmother, who encouraged him throughout his career and accompanied him to many film premieres before she died in 2008 at age 93.
The hefty donation was announced by the International Visegrad Fund, who "promote sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe".
The actor has not formally announced the donation on his social media channels, but has long been an avid supporter and activist for humanitarian issues.
Other celebrities have also joined the fight against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Ukrainian-born actress Mila Kunis and her husband Ashton Kutcher pledged to match donations up to $3 million by those contributing to their GoFundMe campaign.
Their fundraiser, which has raised over $19 million so far, was launched last week with the donations going to Flexport and Airbnb, which, they said, are “two organisations who are actively on the ground providing immediate help to those who need it most.”
Mila was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine - then part of the Soviet Union - and moved with her family to the United States when she was seven years old.
While acknowledging all that the US has done for her and her family, she said she couldn’t forget her roots.
“Today, I am a proud Ukrainian,” the actress said in a statement shared on the fundraising page.
“Ukrainians are proud and brave people who deserve our help in their time of need."
Image credits: Getty Images