As you probably know by now, one of the most anticipated weddings of the year took place last weekend. Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were married last Friday at the Borgo Egnazia Resort in Puglia, Italy before family and friends. The couple, who have been dating on and off since 2007, reportedly called their wedding “magical.”
Now you may be thinking I have confused my pop culture blog with my green blog, but wait, let me explain. This wedding is thought to have cost $6.5 million. Now, I know Biel and Timberlake are young, beautiful, talented, and earned every bit of their money, so they can spend it any way they want. I don’t have $6.5 million, but if I did, with all the hunger and suffering going on in the world, I would find it vulgar to spend that much on a wedding. In addition, the couple made $300,000 for selling their pics to PEOPLE and I haven’t heard a single word about them donating the money to charity. Again, it’s their money to do with what they want, but I just think a little less of them for spending so lavishly.
Cost of the wedding aside, there’s another reason this wedding wasn’t the most socially conscious. Gawker has footage of a video shown sometime during all the ceremonies. The video, titled “Greetings from Your Hollywood Friends Who Just Couldn’t Make It” and a gift from Timeberlake’s realtor Justin Huchel, features homeless people on the streets of LA telling the couple how happy they are for them. One toothless man says to the camera, “Justin and Jessica, I haven’t seen you for a long time . . . I hope the wedding goes fine for you. My gift is in the mail.” Another says, “Jeez I miss you so much. I wish I could be there.”
Okay, the video was meant in humor (albeit poor) and Huchel has hired an attorney saying the video was presented without Timberlake’s prior knowledge, was copyrighted, and it was to be personal and private.
In Timberlake’s defense, he has performed many charitable deeds in the past. He founded the Justin Timberlake Foundation to fund music education in schools, he donated $100,000 of his tour money in Australia to Wildlife Warriors (a Steve Irwin charity), and has donated thousands and thousands of dollars to Memphis charities. He also hosts the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tournament each year.
But, I think back to that old adage “You lie with dogs, you get fleas.” This guy was only Timberlake’s realtor, but I hope he watches his friendship with Huchel closely.