Reese Witherspoon and Barbra Streisand are among the stars who have paid tribute to feminist icon and women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem following her death at the age of 92.
Reese Witherspoon. Photo credit: DFree, Shutterstock
Steinem died on Wednesday, with tributes pouring in from across the entertainment world.
Witherspoon shared a throwback photograph of herself with Steinem, showing the pair posing with their arms around each other at the White House.
The actress reflected on the impact Steinem had on her career, revealing that her words helped influence her decision to play Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.
“Gloria Steinem changed how women saw themselves and what was possible…I was one of them,” Witherspoon wrote.
Reese Witherspoon. Photo credit: Joe Seer, Shutterstock
She explained that when she was considering taking on the role, she watched a documentary featuring Steinem discussing the importance of seeing an underestimated woman become the hero of her own story.
“Her words changed how I saw Elle Woods and helped me say yes,” she said.
Witherspoon went on to recall meeting Steinem years later and being able to tell her personally how much she had inspired her.
“Gloria was a warrior for change. She wanted equality and freedom for ALL women. She dedicated her whole life to advocating for our fundamental rights,” she added.
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Barbra Streisand also shared a personal tribute to Steinem, recalling that she first met the activist in the 1970s.
“From the first moment I met Gloria in the 1970s, I was deeply impressed by her,” Streisand wrote.
The singer said Steinem represented many of the causes she believed in, including equality for women in the workplace, reproductive rights and greater political representation for women.
“She gave voice to these issues with fierce intelligence and steely determination, but also with wit, empathy, and humility,” Streisand added.
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Steinem became one of the most prominent figures in the American feminist movement and spent decades campaigning for women’s rights and equality.
Her influence also extended into popular culture, with her ideas continuing to inspire generations of women, including actors and artists such as Witherspoon.
