Hollywood's elite are having a collective meltdown over Donald Trump's presidential victory, with A-list celebrities warning of America's descent into what they see as democratic collapse.
Pop superstar Billie Eilish broke down during her Nashville concert last night. "When I woke up this morning, I didn't know how I could perform," she told her audience before she broke down in tears during the introduction to her song "Your Power."
"Now we have someone who's convicted... of so many things. A proven predator, let's put it that way. Someone who hates women so deeply is about to become President of the United States," Eilish said. Earlier, she posted to her Instagram story: "This is a war on women."
The late-night comedy scene turned surprisingly somber. Jimmy Kimmel initially walked off stage after saying, "There's nothing to say tonight, good night everyone."
When he returned, fighting back tears, he said: "Let's be honest, last night was terrible. Terrible for women, for children, for the hundreds of thousands of hardworking immigrants who make this country run... And guess what? It's actually terrible for everyone who voted for him too – you just don't realize it yet."
Ariana Grande shared a series of anti-Trump posts, telling her hundreds of millions of followers, "Holding the hand of everyone feeling the unbearable weight of today's results."
Other late-night hosts followed suit. Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon all opened their shows with uncharacteristically serious monologues reflecting the entertainment industry's shock.
The reactions reflect deeper anxieties among liberals about potential restrictions on women's rights and civil liberties, along with fears of increasing social division. Meanwhile, Republican circles celebrated the results with thunderous applause.
"The best I can come up with is that we've survived this once," Kimmel added grimly. "Though this time will probably be worse. Maybe much worse."
