Ben Stiller Got Schooled by His Daughter About Women’s Rights Onstage During Equality Now Gala
From Robert DeNiro and Owen Wilson to Robin Williams and Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller has had some impressive comedy partners over the years. But at the 2024 Equality Now Gala on Oct. 8, he proved his best partner might’ve been under his nose the entire time: his 22-year-old daughter Ella.
Together, Ben and Ella took the stage at the annual gala and paid tribute to legendary women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem, who was given the night’s Special Tribute in Recognition. While Ella rocked her glasses just like Steinem did with the hair tucked beneath them, Ben committed to the bit and wore a Steinem-inspired wig.
More from SheKnows
“What are you doing? What are you wearing?” Ella said to her dad on stage. “I thought we were dressing up as Gloria Steinem, I thought that was the bit,” the Zoolander star responded.
“Oh my God no, I just told you I was gonna wear the glasses to pay homage to Gloria, my hero,” she clarified. “I thought you said ‘we,’ ‘we pay homage,'” the actor responded. “You don’t even have the hair under the [glasses],” Ella clapped back, hinting at Steinem’s signature look. “You’re not even doing it right.”
“Well, you look great,” Ben told his daughter, who she shares with fellow actress Christine Taylor. “Yeah, you look really weird,” Ella responded, with the crowd breaking out in laughter. “Ok well, you have a better wig,” Ben added. “That’s just my hair,” she responded.
Once their quick bit was over, Ben took off the wig and talked about the Equal Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment that would guarantee legal gender equality for women and men.
“Not to mansplain you in public, Ella, but I think they’ve been fighting for the ERA for a long time,” Ben said. “Back when my parents were doing it when I was a kid and we went to the rallies for the ERA and I think it actually did pass so it happened, we won.”
“Yeah, no, actually, we didn’t,” Ella responded, giving her dad a much-needed reality check. “That’s kind of like the whole thing. It’s like why we’re here right now. And here is why we need to get this done. The ERA will establish gender equality in the constitution. It will make sex and gender-based discrimination unconstitutional. It will make the gender pay gap unconstitutional. Restrictions on women’s health care unconstitutional. If the ERA were in the constitution, it actually could’ve protected our reproductive rights.”
“The ERA still isn’t in the constitution?” Ben responded. “This is like blowing my mind.”
“85% of countries in the United Nations have constitutions that prohibit discrimination based on sex and gender, just not ours,” Ella continued. “We are so honored to be here tonight to support Equality Now, they are working tirelessly to get the ERA published in the constitution.”
“Let’s make that happen so that Gloria doesn’t have to spend another 90 years fighting for what’s right,” Ben added, ending their speech on a funny note.
“Obviously in this day and age, with the current state of the Supreme Court and all of it, fighting for women’s reproductive rights and women’s rights in general is very important,” Ben said on the red carpet.
“When Roe was overturned, that was a really hard day and I think then my love for Gloria really got reignited,” Ella added. “I always felt so connected to her, that she was my hero, and in the last couple of years, it could not be more extreme how much I love her and how much I want to emulate her and everything she stands for, especially with the election coming up.”
Speaking of election, Ella’s been vocal about her support for presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. “I love Kamala Harris,” Ella wrote on Instagram in all caps alongside photos of her at the DNC. “I love that she will protect women and reinstate abortion as a constitutional right.”
Looks like Ben and Christine Taylor raised quite an activist!
Before you go, click here to see celebrity kids who are all grown up.
Best of SheKnows
Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
