Kristen Stewart once earned a jaw-dropping $500,000 for just 15 private minutes at Madison Square Garden, and the story only gets wilder.
Follow Login to Follow ×
SUMMARY
ELI5 Read Next
Kristen Stewart has been ranked among the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, with films like Snow White and the Huntsman and the Twilight franchise under her belt. But what intrigues us is the fact that the actress once made a whopping $500,000 for 15 minutes of her time, and no, it wasn’t for a small appearance in any project.
Apparently, Stewart was paid a large sum by a prince from the Middle East who wanted to spend 15 minutes with her. While it sounds extremely inappropriate, rest assured that it wasn’t the case.
According to Medium, the prince approached Harvey Weinstein in December 2012 at Madison Square Garden with the unusual request. He didn’t want to take a photo with her, nor did he ask for anything suspicious. His only desire was to have a 15-minute-long conversation with the actress.
What Did the Prince and Kristen Stewart Talk About?
As a prince, his wealth and connections were probably endless, so why did he choose Kristen Stewart over everyone else to have a heart-to-heart with? After all, what could a prince and a 22-year-old actress have in common?
The disgraced producer recalled the incident during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2013. After the prince had approached him with the offer, Weinstein wasted no time in putting a price tag on it. The amount was set to $500,000, and Stewart went ahead to have a private conversation with the prince.
The meeting took place somewhere in Madison Square Garden, but there were no cameras allowed. It was private, short, and no one but the two people was present in the room.
So, what he and Stewart spoke of has remained a mystery since then. Perhaps the Love Lies Bleeding actress might speak of it someday, but for now, their conversation is a tightly guarded secret, one sealed behind closed doors, half a million dollars, and 15 minutes the world will probably never decode.
What Did Kristen Stewart Do With the Money?
After Weinstein set the price at $500,000, the prince paid the full amount to the chairman of Madison Square Garden, James Dolan. The payment was made in cash and was delivered to Stewart.
Of course, Kristen Stewart accepted the money, but the surprising and endearing part is that she didn’t keep a single dollar for herself. Instead, she chose to donate every last bit of it to the Sandy Relief fund.
Point to be noted: the incident dates back to the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief after Hurricane Sandy destroyed the East Coast, leaving neighborhoods underwater and victims displaced.
Artists like Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Kanye West, Chris Martin, and more performed at the concert to raise money for the survivors. Stewart was one of them. And when she had the opportunity to make a big change by sacrificing just 15 minutes of her life, she took it.
Everything combined, the benefit concert raised about $50 million (via New York Times), and producers assured everyone that the aid would be distributed immediately.
Would you have accepted the $500K from a prince for 15 minutes of your time? What would you have done with the money? Let us know in the comments section below!
🎮 Take a short break — play a quick game
