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On Friday morning George Clooney was arrested outside of the Sudan Embassy in Washington after protesting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

After a short stint in jail, Clooney was released after paying the $100 bail. George joked of his time in the pokey:

“Really rough you can imagine…Have you ever been in a cell with these guys?” Celebrity arrests are nothing new, but it’s a different story when they’re arrested for standing up for a cause. George joins a handful of other celebs who have been arrested for protesting:
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Celebrities are some of the most privileged and lucky people in the world. Aside from, you know, having their every move documented and criticized and all.

I know, I can hear your hearts breaking, too.

Most of the time, with fame comes fortune, and celebrities are pretty fortunate. So it’s nice when they decide to give some of that back in the form of charity. The folks at the non-profit organization The Giving Back Fund have put together a list called Giving Back 30, which honors celebs who have written the biggest checks to charity.
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The Wish Upon a Hero foundation was just one of the charities who received support from Chase at the recent American Giving Awards.

The Chase American Giving Awards donated $125,000 to the foundation, which operates a website that allows people in need fulfill their wishes.

And speaking of heroes, Hollyscoop talked to the celebs at the American Giving Awards to see who their personal heroes are.

Veteran sports journalist Bob Costas told us: “Mickey Mantle was a big baseball hero when I was a kid…I think as you get older, you have people you respect and admire and there’s
Lady Gaga is being accused of “stealing” a portion of the proceeds from sales of the “We Pray For Japan” wristbands she was famously promoting after the Earthquakes in Japan.

Now one of those law firms whose billboards you see on the side of a public bus, 1-800-LAW-FIRM, is suing Gaga claiming she is pocketing a portion of the charity money and refused to reveal how much is actually going to the Japanese victims.

This isn’t the first time that celebs have been involved in a not-so-charitable donation scam.
Ridiculously rich Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are spending their money on something worthwhile—the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
The organization will aid tornado relief efforts in Joplin, Missouri.

Pitt’s home state has still been recovering from the wreckage of mother nature. They said in a statement,

"With the devastating loss of thirty percent of the city, the Joplin community faces great challenges ahead. Having spent much of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient."
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And you thought she was just a pretty face.

Jessica Alba is a spokesperson for the Safer Chemicals Healthy Family Coalition, and will head to Congress in two weeks to discuss a new bill.

Find out what kind of changes Alba is trying to make after the jump!
Shakira may be infamous for her hip shaking and sexy abs, but in Colombia, she's the woman who gave thousands of underprivileged kids a new school.

Shakira visited Cartagena, Colombia along with philanthropist Howard Buffett, the mayor of the city Judith Pinedo and members of her Pies Descalzos (Barefoot) Foundation to lay the first brick of what will be its new mammoth school in an area of high vulnerability and displacement in this coastal Colombian city.

In case you're keeping count, this is the seventh school Shakira has opened in Colombia. And I felt good about myself when I handed the homeless guy by the freeway a few bucks.

The project is set to become an urban milestone, a motor of change for 1,500 boys and girls who will benefit directly and 58,000 residents of the community.

It's always great to hear about megastars taking a break from the spotlight for a minute to do good. There's no stopping Shakira. No wonder she's so loved! #simplyamazing
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UPDATE: A spokesperson for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF clarified the reports for Hollyscoop. They're not asking restaurants to charge $1 for tap water, rather they're encouraging patrons to donate $1 on their bill for UNICEF Tap Project.

More than 1,000 restaurants nationwide have joined the UNICEF Tap Project in an effort to raise funds to combat the world water crisis. Throughout World Water Week (March 20-26) restaurants are offering patrons a chance to get involved by allowing them to donate $1 to UNICEF Tap Project on their check. The donation is entirely optional. With a $1 dollar donation, UNICEF can provide clean, safe drinking water to a child for 40 days.

ORIGINAL STORY:

You know when you go to a restaurant and instead of ordering a $5 soda, you decide to just go with a glass of water? Well if Rihanna and Taylor Swift have their way, you're going to start paying for that glass of tap water soon too.

They've added their name to Unicef's Tap Project, which urges restaurants to start charging at least $1 for tap water.

In one of the advertising posters, Rihanna poses next to a bottle of her personalized drink with the words, "Rihanna Tap Water. Not your typical tap water, unless of course, you live next door to Rihanna."

A message on the Unicef Celebrity Tap website reads, "Celebrities have donated their own tap water to help raise awareness of the world water crisis. Donations enter individuals in our sweepstakes to win an esteemed collection of these famous tap waters."

I'm all for Unicef raising funds for a good cause, but come on, this is just too much. These celebs make a zillion dollars a year so they have the luxury to pay for water, not everyone does!
Celebrities, fashion designers, movie studios and the general public have all come together to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. It’s nice to see people digging deep in their pockets to help those in need.

Here’s a rundown of some of the big donations from people in Hollywood and the fashion industry.

  • Tadashi Yanai, president of Uniqlo is donating $12.2 million of his own fortune, $4.9 million from his company and $8.6 million in coats, jeans, towels and 300,000 pairs of its Heattech thermal underwear to victims.


  • Demi Lovato is a changed woman since leaving rehab and wants to help those in need. She has donated $1 million of her own money to the relief cause.


  • The Walt Disney Company has committed $2.5 million in humanitarian aid to the victims.


  • Fashion house Coach donated $5 million to the Japanese Red Cross.


  • Clint Eastwood and Warner Bros. have committed proceeds from Clint’s Hereafter DVD to Japan.


  • New York Yankees have donated $50,000 to the Salvation Army and $50,000 to the Red Cross.


  • Jack Johnson, who is touring in Japan, has cancelled his tour and is donating to Global Giving’s Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.


  • Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, and his wife Wendy will match the first $100,000 donated via Citizen Effect to the American Red Cross.


  • Lady Gaga designed a white bracelet with red lettering that retails on her website for $5. She raised $250k in 48 hours.


  • Sandra Bullock donated $1 million to the American Red Cross.


  • Charlie Sheen has announced that $1.00 from every ticket to his live show will go to the Red Cross.


  • South Korean production company SM Entertainment has announced that they are donating $900,000 to Japanese Red Cross.


Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, P. Diddy, Justin Bieber, Conan O'Brien, Chris Brown, and many more haven’t really donated, but they’ve used Twitter to give their sympathies to those in Japan and encouraged fans to donate to the Red Cross.

If you haven’t made a donation yet, please visit Red Cross and do your part. You can also text "Redcross" to 90999 to donate $10. The donation will appear on your mobile phone bill.
Could Natalie Portman be any more perfect?

The mom-to-be has teamed up with Free the Children to help educate young girls about poverty in developing countries.

In the video posted on the official website, Natalie says, “With women comprising 70 percent of the world’s poor, investing in the education of girls is one of the best ways to end the cycle of poverty.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Free The Children and excited to see the ways in which youth throughout North America and the U.K. will be able to help send girls to school in Kenya, bringing them one step closer to achieving their dreams.”

Contest Rules:
If you’re between the ages of 13 and 21 and meet the eligibility requirements, you have from February 1st until May 1st, 2011 to raise funds for Kisaruni. In early May, the top five fundraisers will be asked to share why they think it’s important to empower the girls through education.

Winner Receives:
On June 1st , 2011 the winner will be announced and receive the Power of a Girl prize pack, which includes the floral Rodarte dress Natalie wore (see below) to the American Film Institute gala premiere of Black Swan. You get to travel to Kenya on a Me to We trip during summer of 2011, and much more!

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