*Rihanna was part co-host and part bartender for her third annual Diamond Ball Thursday night in New York City, raising a reported $840,000 for her Clara Lionel Foundation, which promotes education and arts globally.
“The more you drink, the more inspired you’ll be to donate money … and help kids around the world,” Rihanna told the crowd, according to Page Six.
Co-host Dave Chappelle served as Rihanna’s right-hand man, regaling the guests with jokes and later joining the auctioneer onstage, even purchasing a Retna art piece for $180,000, Page Six reported.
When selling two tickets to the Obama Foundation Fall Summit in Chicago, Chappelle said he would throw in his pocket square. It jumped from $200,000 to $201,000…and eventually sold for $275,000.
Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and Trevor Noah were among the A-listers who attended the black-tie event, which included a video message from former President Barack Obama. He thanked Rihanna “for the great work” she’s doing with her foundation.
“You’ve become a powerful force,” Obama said, in helping people find “hope” and “dignity.”
Rihanna launched the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012 and named it after her grandparents Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. Many of her family members attended the event and posed for photos on the red carpet with the Grammy-winning singer.
The foundation said at the event they were among the first to assist those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and that they’re currently strategizing how best to support victims of Hurricane Irma. The organization also has a scholarship program and an oncology and nuclear medicine center in Barbados, where Rihanna was born and raised.
“It’s exciting to come to New York for the first time. It’s the first Diamond Ball on the East Coast, and we’ve been dying to do something like this for a few years,” Rihanna said in an interview at Cipriani Wall Street. “Now is the perfect time. September is Fashion Week. Everybody is here. And we hope that they are in the mood to give back.”
Kendrick Lamar performed his hits “Humble,” “Alright” and “Loyalty” into the wee hours of Friday morning. (Rihanna remained in the audience despite featuring on “Loyalty.”) Calvin Harris, who worked with Rihanna on the hits “We Found Love” and “This Is What You Came For,” followed with a DJ set.
NFL player Victor Cruz and rappers Lil Kim, Cardi B., Future, Fabolous and Young Thug also attended the event.
Among the items sold, according to Page Six:
A necklace, featuring 16-carats of white diamonds set in 18-karat white gold, went for $130,000; a visit and tasting for four at the Petrus wine estate, along with lunch at the family’s private mansion in France, sold for $80,000; a trip for 12 in the Maldives went for $100,000; and a 15-liter bottle of Nebuchadnezzars champagne, signed by Jay-Z with a personalized note from Rihanna, sold for $75,000.
View more pics from Rihanna’s 2017 Diamond Ball below:
During his standup set, Chappelle told the crowd: “S—’s not going well for us. The president is f—ing up. I feel bad — on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ I was the first one in America to say, ‘Hey y’all, give him a chance.’ Shouldn’t have said that s—. Now every time he f—s up, I go into the barbershop and n—as look at me like ‘What’s up with your boy?’ Motherf—er is clearly, clearly not having a good go of it. Can we agree on that?”
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