Inside Selena Gomez's fundraiser: Benny Blanco bids big, Karol G gets crowd on their feet

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Propelled by the memory of "some of my darkest days," Selena Gomez founded her Rare Impact Fund four years ago. And at a benefit auction Thursday night, her philanthropic work got a boost from her boyfriend Benny Blanco, performers Karol G and Teddy Swims, and emcee Billy Crudup, who lent their star power and nudged entertainment industry bigwigs to open up their pocketbooks for the cause.

At the second annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit: A Night of Radiance & Reflection, which took place at at Los Angeles' Nya Studios West, Gomez checked to make sure her guests were loosened up and in a giving mood after a few hours of hitting up the open bar and enjoying goodies from the event's ample sponsors.

"You're not nearly as drunk as I wanted you to be before this auction, but that's OK. I'll try to take your money anyway," she joked in her signature deadpan.

The "Only Murders in the Building" star and Rare Beauty founder's long-term goal is to raise $100 million via her fund to be allocated to organizations that provide mental health services to young people around the world. So far, according to the Rare Impact Fund's website, $15 million has been dedicated to "philanthropic partners," and the fund provides grants to 26 nonprofit organizations.

"I think we've been doing wonderful things. I'm so proud," Gomez told USA TODAY on the red carpet as the event was getting underway. "The money we've raised, it's not just about that. It's about what the money can do to impact people's lives.

"And I think that the whole mission I've honestly been focusing on my whole 20s to now is my mental health. It's a daily practice," Gomez added. "And I know there's so many people out there hurting. And I just want to be a place where they can trust me with their truth and be a light in something that feels really dark."

Inside the benefit, Gomez opened up about how having access to support for her own mental illness fueled her desire to ensure help is within reach for more young people.

"I know when I received my diagnosis for bipolar (disorder), it changed everything for me. Everything I needed was about the knowledge that allowed me to get the right support," she told the standing-room-only crowd of a few hundred people.

"It's a start of a different kind of journey, but we all deserve support if and when we need it, no matter who we are. I believe connection matters, and I'm here to be a voice for those who maybe don't have one, for those who don't feel like they have one."

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Benny Blanco was one of the night's biggest donors

Blanco, a No. 1 hit-making music producer with whom Gomez went public at the end of 2023, sat with Gomez and her inner circle, including her sister and mom, near the stage.

Blanco's donation — a one-hour virtual cooking class with him and his friend, "The Bear" star (and real-life chef) Matty Matheson — sparked a bidding war that went up to $7,500. As for his qualifications, earlier this year, Blanco released a cookbook "filled with insane recipes."

But things really started getting heated more than halfway through the auction, when Blanco was embroiled in a bidding war over a five-night stay at a three-story villa in an exclusive community in western Mexico, courtesy of Airbnb. Ample use of his No. 5 auction paddle paid off: Blanco was named the champion with a winning $25,000 bid for the vacation stay. He later committed at the highest donation level, $20,000, for the Rare Impact Fund.

Meanwhile, Jackie Aina had her eyes on the prize when it came to a one-hour design consultation with designer Kelly Wearstler. The OG YouTube beauty influencer handily won the auction battle with a $10,000 bid.

After each of the five items was auctioned off, Gomez moseyed over to the winning bidders to congratulate them.

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Karol G is enjoying a 'social media detox'

Ahead of performing hits "Mi Ex Tenía Razón" and "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido," which brought the crowd to their feet, Grammy-winning reggaetón star Karol G opened up about "feeling great and happy" coming off her record-breaking Ma?ana Será Bonito World Tour.

Karol told USA TODAY she's been "traveling a lot with friends" exploring Bora Bora, Iceland and across Colombia over the past two months — time off that she described as a treat to herself after back-to-back headlining tours since 2021.

"I think it's a gift that I'm giving myself for all these years of hard work, and it has been helping me to grow," she said of her travels. She's also been enjoying a "social media detox" during this time.

"My career is growing, and my ... time (away) from my social media is growing, too, because there is a lot of people giving opinions. They don't know you; they don't know your stuff. They don't know your problems. But everyone has an opinion," Karol said.

"Everybody's showing the best pictures, but all of us, we have problems, we have issues, we have insecurities," she added. "So just solve it with the right people: friends, family, having so much fun, having time with your boyfriend, sisters, friends. And social media? Bye."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Selena Gomez Rare Impact Fund event: Benny Blanco bids, Karol G struts