The fourth annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS was held on September 21, 2023, at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
The event honored NBA Hall of Fame legend, philanthropist and businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson and philanthropist and entrepreneur Cookie Johnson for their years of courage and commitment to an AIDS-free world. Award-winning actors Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance hosted the event. The star-studded evening featured an unforgettable performance by seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winning ‘Empress of Soul’ Gladys Knight.
The gala – generously supported by Presenting Sponsor Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Diamond Sponsor Bulgari – included a seated dinner and an exciting live auction in partnership with Christie’s featuring unique art and luxury experiences with Brett Sherlock serving as auctioneer. Guests were given an up-close look at exclusive items from The Elizabeth Taylor Archive including highlights from Elizabeth Taylor’s personal life and philanthropy.
Co-Chairs for this year’s Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS included musician, model, actor and ETAF Ambassador Paris Jackson as well as entrepreneur, producer, ETAF friend, and longtime supporter Christine Chiu.
While accepting the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award, Earvin “Magic” Johnson said, “When I think about my journey 32 years ago, when people say I wouldn’t be here, it’s companies like Gilead and others who provided [an opportunity]. At that time, there was only one drug, but the blessing is, now there are over 40. We made some great strides. Now we can have dinners and talk openly about HIV and AIDS where back then we couldn’t.”
Event host Angela Bassett said, “When Elizabeth Taylor founded The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation decades ago, she knew what is still so clear today. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is not just a health crisis. It is also a social justice and health equity crisis. Even though we’ve made so much scientific progress, people living with HIV still face stigma, discrimination, criminalization, and profound inequities.”
Courtney B. Vance read a letter on-stage from former President Barack Obama congratulating the Johnsons on the award that said, “They didn’t just help raise research dollars or educate the public. They moved us to think in an entirely new way about a condition affecting millions of people around the world – changing attitudes with the kind of grace and encouragement that only true leaders can display. It was the same grace and courage Elizabeth Taylor displayed when she became the first globally recognized HIV and AIDS activist. Work that has been carried on in so many ways by the foundation that bears her name. Magic’s pragmatic, optimistic approach to his diagnosis ended up changing the way the world saw the disease.”
Thank you to all who attended and donated; you have joined ETAF in carrying on the legacy of Elizabeth Taylor’s vision of a world without AIDS. If you didn’t get a chance to donate, you can still support The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS by visiting ETAF.org/donate.
Browse highlights from the evening in the image gallery below:
