Ruth Bader Ginsburg: How Celebrities and Politicians Are Paying Tribute to the Notorious RBG
On September 18, Ruth Bader Ginsburg—the second woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court—passed away at 87. Toward the end of her life, the Notorious RBG fought through cancer and chemotherapy treatments to vote to strike down a major anti-abortion law, protect LGBTQ+ workers, and block the Trump administration from ending DACA. And that’s just a continuation of the feminist work she had been doing since long before her appointment in 1993.
News of her death prompted a wave of reactions from all over the world, including a deserving abundance of tributes from people eager to pay their respects as well as celebrate Ginsburg’s achievements. Many remember her as a “feminist icon” and a champion role model for young girls and women everywhere.
Here’s how celebrities, politicians, and more are paying tribute.
Barack Obama
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought to the end, through her cancer, with unwavering faith in our democracy and its ideals,” he wrote via Instagram. “That’s how we remember her. But she also left instructions for how she wanted her legacy to be honored.”
“Four and a half years ago, when Republicans refused to hold a hearing or an up-or-down vote on Merrick Garland, they invented the principle that the Senate shouldn’t fill an open seat on the Supreme Court before a new president was sworn in,” Obama continued in the rest of his statement, which is also on Medium. “A basic principle of the law—and of everyday fairness—is that we apply rules with consistency, and not based on what’s convenient or advantageous in the moment. The rule of law, the legitimacy of our courts, the fundamental workings of our democracy all depend on that basic principle.”
He continued, “As votes are already being cast in this election, Republican Senators are now called to apply that standard. The questions before the Court now and in the coming years—with decisions that will determine whether or not our economy is fair, our society is just, women are treated equally, our planet survives, and our democracy endures—are too consequential to future generations for courts to be filled through anything less than an unimpeachable process.”
Meghan Markle
“With an incomparable and indelible legacy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg will forever be known as a woman of brilliance, a Justice of courage, and a human of deep conviction,” the Duchess of Sussex wrote in a touching statement to People. “She has been a true inspiration to me since I was a girl. Honor her, remember her, act for her.”
Bill Clinton
“We have lost one of the most extraordinary Justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court,” Clinton, who appointed RBG to the Supreme Court in 1993, tweeted. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and landmark opinions moved us closer to a more perfect union. And her powerful dissents reminded us that we walk away from our Constitution’s promise at our peril.”
Joe Biden
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for all of us,” he wrote. “She was an American hero, a giant of legal doctrine, and a relentless voice in the pursuit of that highest American ideal: Equal Justice Under Law. May her memory be a blessing to all people who cherish our Constitution and its promise.”
Hillary Clinton
“Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me,“ she tweeted. “There will never be another like her. Thank you RBG.”
Kamala Harris
“Tonight we mourn, we honor, and we pray for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her family. But we also recommit to fight for her legacy,” the Senator wrote. “Doug and I send our heartfelt prayers to Jane and James, and the entire Ginsburg family, particularly on this holy day of Rosh Hashanah.”
Elizabeth Warren
“Ruthie was my friend and I will miss her terribly,” she wrote. “The t-shirts simply labeled ‘RBG’ made her notorious. But it was her wit, her tenaciousness, and her skill as a jurist that made her an icon.”
Bernie Sanders
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the great justices in modern American history and her passing is a tremendous loss to our country,” he tweeted. “She will be remembered as an extraordinary champion of justice and equal rights.”
Chasten Buttigieg
“Staring at this wedding ring. Thinking of what SCOTUS means to our lives. Our families. Our marriages. Our rights,” he wrote. “I need you to vote. We all need you to vote.”
Kate McKinnon
McKinnon, who has played a feisty, energetic version of Ginsburg on Saturday Night Live for years, gave an emotional statement to People on September 19. “For so many of us, Justice Ginsburg was a real-life superhero: a beacon of hope, a warrior for justice, a robed crusader who saved the day time and again. Playing her on SNL was a profound joy because I could always feel the overwhelming love and gratitude that the audience had for her,” she said. “It was one of the great honors of my life to meet Justice Ginsburg, to shake her hand, and to thank her for her lifetime of service to this country.”
Mariah Carey
“Thank you for a lifetime of service,” the singer tweeted. “Thank you for changing history. We will never let it be undone. RIP RBG.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
“If there is a God, may She bless and keep RBG,” the Veep star wrote.
Kerry Washington
“Her rest is earned,” the actor wrote. “It is our turn to fight.”
Mindy Kaling
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the kind of scholar and patriot you get excited about explaining to your kids,” the Mindy Project star tweeted. “The kind of person who you say ‘who knows, one day you could be HER.’ I hope you rest well, RBG, you must have been tired from changing the world.”
Viola Davis
“No 2020!!! No! No! Not now! Not this WOMAN!!! Please work your supreme magic, brilliant mind, and courage from Heaven!! Help us down here!” the Oscar winner wrote. “Thank you for your service Queen!! Rest in glorious peace.”
Jennifer Lopez
“I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” the singer wrote alongside a series of photos with Ginsburg. “She was a true champion of gender equality and was a strong woman for me and all the little girls of the world to look up to.”
Sophia Bush
“Truly and utterly gutted. And grateful. And in awe. And just so devastated,” the One Tree Hill alum tweeted. “An icon and a hero.”
Beanie Feldstein
“we will fight in your incredible honor. thank you for fighting,” the actor wrote. “my heart is fucking broken.”
Mandy Moore
“Thank you, RBG for devoting your life, love and legacy to the rule of law,” the This Is Us star tweeted. “What a trailblazer in every way. What an immeasurable loss in every way. We will honor you by voting to protect all that you stood for.”
Brie Larson
“ ‘Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.’ Thank you, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” she wrote. “We’ll keep pushing our way into all the places we’ve yet to be invited.”
Felicity Jones
Academy Award–nominated actor Felicity Jones, who portrayed RBG in the film On the Basis of Sex in 2018, told CNN, “Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave us hope, a public figure who stood for integrity and justice—a responsibility she did not wear lightly. She will be missed not only as a beacon of light in these difficult times but for her razor sharp wit and extraordinary humanity. She taught us all so much. I will miss her deeply.”
We will update this post as more tributes come in.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
