Celebrity Chef Jose Andres He praised his “friends” Meghan Markle and Prince Harry For volunteering during the Los Angeles wildfires.
In an interview with the people Published on Saturday, January 19, Andres, 55, said he was “happy” to see the couple “appearing like so many others”.
“I mean, listen, I consider them friends,” Andres told the outlet. “I know they are in the spotlight – not in America, but in Britain – and what I can say from what I know is that they don’t have to, but they decided to do it.”
Andrés is the founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides meals to communities in need during times of war or in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The organization is a long-standing partner of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation.
Wildfires continue to sweep through the Los Angeles area, destroying thousands of acres and forcing more people to flee their homes. As relief efforts begin, some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are coming together to help those in need. The Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, which are burning simultaneously, are already burning (…)
Markle, 43, and Harry, 40, recently partnered with Andrés and World Central Kitchen to help with ongoing wildfire relief efforts. The couple also donated items to those affected in the Pacific Palisades area, where the fires first broke out on January 7.
“Maybe you feel like it’s better that no one does anything, because no one criticizes you for showing up — but the amazing thing is that they show up,” Andres said.
Markle and Harry were previously criticized by Justine Bateman, who accused the couple of volunteering to take a “souvenir photo.”
“Meghan Markle and Harry are no better than ambulance chasers. What a disgusting ‘photo op’ they have achieved. They are ‘scouring damage’? Are they politicians now?” Bateman, 58, wrote on X on January 11.
Andres did not specifically address Pittman’s comments during the interview the people.
However, he said that anyone who volunteers “will always have my applause and my eternal appreciation,” regardless of whether they are a celebrity or not.
“The hugs I’ve seen (they) give to people they recognize and even people they don’t recognize — they’re people who just want someone to listen to them and hug them,” he continued.
“The joy they bring to people, the joy they bring to first responders, or people who have lost everything…and seeing these celebrities hugging and crying with people when some of these celebrities lost their homes — they could be home but they are there,” he said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have always been supporters of giving back. Charity has played a big role in their relationship, both when they were senior members of the British royal family, and since they announced their decision to step down in January 2020. Two years before Harry met Meghan in 2016, he organized[…]
When the fires first broke out, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex opened their home in Montecito, California — about 80 miles from the fire — to affected friends.
Markle also postponed the release date of her upcoming Netflix series, With love, Meganwhich was initially scheduled to be released on January 15. It will now premiere on March 4.
“I am grateful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those affected by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Markle said in a statement issued on January 12.
