Celebrities such as Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Cory Monteith, Kim Kardashian and Kristen Bell played a pivotal role in galvanizing online support for Kony 2012, the viral video created by Jason Russell and his Invisible Children foundation aiming to stop the abuse and killing of children at the hands of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony.
But after the director ended up hospitalized Friday after an apparent freakout, many of those same folks have gone radio silent…except for a few.
So what did these celebs have to say?
“Thank you @BenKeesey your tireless eloquence never ceases to amaze me,” tweeted actress Kristen Bell, linking to a video Invisible Children posted updating people on Jason’s condition under the “global media spotlight.”
The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star, who’s been a steadfast Kony 2012 supporter ever since the video went live, further defended Russell.
Bell replied to one follower who linked to an Atlantic article about what people can learn from the helmer’s very public breakdown: “@Bpd116 ur misinformed & r judging based on salacious headlines. Be Human. Drop the stones.”
Brody Jenner, former star of MTV’s The Hills, expressed shock at a new video that surfaced, showing the 33-year-old Russell walking around naked in his San Diego neighborhood shouting expletives and ranting about the devil.
“Man this new up close video of Jason Russell’s meltdown on http://TMZ.com is hectic… What do you guys think? I am speechless,” tweeted Jenner.
Still no word what stepsis Kim Kardashian thinks, not to mention what Ri-Ri or the Biebs had to say about it. But Brody wasn’t the only one aghast.
“Public masturbation?!” wrote Bones actor John Francis Daley, referring to the previous, erroneous press accounts. “The children are invisible, Jason Russell, not you!”
Other celebs tried to make light of the situation.
“I’m just gonna say what many of us are already thinking: JasonRussell is kinda hot,” tweeted Modern Family‘s Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
“In Jason Russell’s defense, who DOESN’T celebrate a video going viral by jerking off in public?” quipped comedian Patton Oswalt.
Film critic Roger Ebert on the other hand struck a more mournful tone. “I held off tweeting the Jason Russell story because I sensed there’s more behind it. Something sad,” he tweeted.
