Celebrities Explain Why They Wore Black on the 2018 Golden Globes Red Carpet

Kerry Washington

"I’m really proud to be wearing black in solidarity with all of the women tonight who are saying Time’s Up. I mean imbalance of power. We will not stand for it anymore," she told InStyle. "To wear black in solidarity of all the brave people who have come forward to tell their story, to wear black in solidarity. The people who have been doing this work for decades in the trenches fighting for social justice. I’m wearing black in solidarity with everybody who knows that it’s time for real equity and parity in the workplace."

Marai Larasi and Emma Watson

Watson: "Personally, the chance to bring Marai onto the carpet with me, she has so much wisdom. So much power. So much knowledge. I've learned so much from her about being an intersectional feminist. About black feminism. I've loved working with Imkaan, which is the organization that she is the executive director of," she told InStyle. "And just seeing so many other women standing together in solidarity and unity tonight, like this is an inflection point. This is a moment in history. This feels like, I don't know, I've never been more honored to stand on a red carpet. I really feel that way."

Larasi: "And for us, for me, it's been amazing. Emma has really worked hard to be an ally. And really kind of tried to understand what the specific issues are in terms of women of color. That means something. She's not kind of jumped in like I know it. She asks questions. She's learning. And this is a space of mutual respect and solidarity. This isn't like the white woman coming to rescue the woman of color. Or the woman in color being the Earth mother kind of going I can help you learn. It's been real sharing. And challenge. And difficult interesting conversations. And this is solidarity across different spaces, you know? We have similarities. But we have a huge amount of differences. And we're evidence that actually women can connect across different spaces to say time's up, you know? And that means something."

Laura Dern and Monica Ramirez

Dern: "We chose black because it felt like a democratized color. And we wanted to try to say as we look around, we're not alone, and you're not alone. We're all in this together across all industries. And men, women, and children deserve to be safe everywhere. And there are all these extraordinary people who do so much work to support and protect others. And if everybody can unify, we'll, in fact I believe, break," she told InStyle.

"I know we are all here saying time’s up on the abuse of power. We are proud to be supporting a legal defense fund that unifies people across all industries. I really felt that was spearheaded when Monica Ramirez wrote the letter of solidarity in Time magazine from the 700,000 women she represents, female farmworkers across our country, saying that we’re not alone. So I want to stand with her to make sure that everyone across all industry knows they’re not alone. Men, women and children."

Ramirez: "So the farmworker women in our nation pick, pack, and plant the food that we eat. And even though this is one of the most important jobs in our nation, farmworker women experience terrible abuses including workplace sexual violence. We know what it feels like to be alone. We know what it feels like to be in the darkness, and we know what it feels like to have people try to keep us quiet, and we made the decision. Women who are not here with me today physically who are here with me in my heart, we made the decision to stand with individuals who are coming forward in Hollywood, so that we could lend our years of experience, our strength, and our power so that collectively we can end this problem."

Alison Brie in Vassilis Zoulias

"I just was so excited by the pants. I love a good reveal. In a costume. I've got amazing Bulgari jewels. This snake is actually a little watch, which I find to be an additional nod to Time's Up, the movement that we're all representing here today in black. And I'm just so excited," she told InStyle.

"It was important to me to support the movement because I believe in everyone's right to a safe workplace. And you know I also think that it's a very powerful thing when women and all people come together to unite for a cause. That is how you create change. So I was excited and honored to be asked to be apart of what I think is a movement, a moment that will go down in history. It didn't throw that much of a wrench. You know, I love this outfit so much. I think I would've worn it even if we weren't wearing black here today. So I'm just excited to be here."

Ava Duvernay

"It’s giving it a different energy that I love. Because it’s not even about what people are wearing. It’s just about celebrating a moment. I like it," she told InStyle. "It’s just kind of a—I don’t know. The exterior motives of it all. And it’s allowing us to have conversations about other things. Not one person on the carpet asked me 'what I was wearing.' You know what I mean? It just wasn’t the topic. So it’s really cool."

Nina Dobrev

"I've been part of the Time's Up meetings for a while now. So I've known about this for a minute. So I've been planning for it," she told InStyle. "But black looks great on everybody. So people didn't have too much difficulty."

Ashley Judd

"Tonight, black is exhilarating. It is unifying. Empowering. It's a collective statement. There are so few women on set. But even if we admired each other's work, so many of us have never actually met one another," she told InStyle.

"It is a gender revolution. And you know we all put a lot of time and energy into getting ready. And it was so great through every step of picking out my dress, and getting ready today, knowing that I was going to show up and be living amongst women. Not a singular individual coming for a unique pleasing. But because we're here collectively."

Heidi Klum

"I knew from the beginning that, all women were going to wear black today to celebrate women, and to stand up for women's equality and girl power. So, I'm obviously all into that and I want to be part of it," she told InStyle. "So, it wasn't a hard choice to pick black even though I would've picked red if someone would've asked me, I would've made all the women to wear red because I think is the strongest color. For me, it's the most powerful color and it means love and all that at the same time. But I guess we'll all look good in black, right."

Katherine Langford in custom Prada

"I think being part of tonight’s movement for Time’s Up was a really easy decision for me. After I heard I was nominated, I had several actresses reach out to me and let me know about the movement. And I was lucky enough to work with Prada," she told InStyle. "This is custom Prada that I’m wearing tonight. And they were aware of the movement and very supportive. So I chose to be a part of this because it’s what I believe in wholeheartedly, and I’m very glad that I can pair that with a design house that feels very strongly the same."

Allison Janney in Mario Dice

"It’s Mario Dice, [the designer] said that if I wore it, he’s donating to Time’s Up. So I loved him for that. And I thought it was—I was worried that it wasn’t all black. But it’s mostly—I was so worried about that because I wanted to be supportive. But I actually checked in with the Time’s Up people to see if I was OK. And they were like—they gave me the thumbs-up," she told InStyle. "Thank god. I was stressed about it. I want to make sure to say that I want to be standing in solidarity with everyone."

Reese Witherspoon

"It’s been a difficult year for our industry, discovering a lot of things. A lot of things have come out of the darkness and into the light, and I think there was a collective feeling that it would be business as usual, because I think we have to forever changed in this moment," she said.

"We are more united as an industry than we have ever been, men and women, determined to change our own industry, but also shine on a lot of other industries because we’re very privileged to be here. We get to tell stories and there are a lot of people in other industries who don’t get this opportunity to speak up, so hopefully this is a small gesture that will continue to resonate."

Chris Hemsworth

"All of us have come together in unity to say enough harassment. Enough with sexual abuse. Enough with all the garbage that women have had to deal with since the beginning of civilization. I think it’s wonderful, the conversations, educational period for all of us to transition into a world where we respect each other 100 percent," he told InStyle.

"I’m a feminist. I believe in equality regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation. We should all have the same opportunities. I have a daughter. I want her to have all of the same opportunities that her brother should have. Her brother is doing the same."

Laverne Cox in Stella Nolasco

"Of course, everybody is wearing black because Time’s Up. Time’s up on the silence that so many folks have felt they had to be in for far too long around sexual assault, sexual harassment. Time is up for the power structures that continue to silence people and continue to make people feel unequal in the workplace," she told InStyle.

"I’m so proud to stand with the other women who on the coalition grounds Time’s Up and be the Time’s Up legal defense fund. If you have any money, please donate what you can for those folks who don’t have the resources to fight back when they come forward. That’s what that’s for. We are really proud."

Ansel Elgort

"It’s a really special moment, I think. I think it’s a moment that we’ll remember for a long time, and it’s great to be a part of it," he told InStyle. "I’m glad that they asked everyone to stand in solidarity together. It’s great that we’re all doing it."

Rachel Brosnahan in Vionnet

"So this dress is by Vionnet. And I am here wearing black in solidarity with my sisters and brothers across all industries saying Time’s Up on abuse of power, sexual harassment, assault, feeling unsafe in the workplace," she told InStyle. "Enough. That’s why."

Glen Powell

"I guess what it comes down to—look, there's this phrase we have in Texas: Sometimes it's good to shake out the dead wood. I think you're seeing a lot of the dead wood that has caused a lot of problems ... getting shaken out," he told InStyle.

"I think this is like the black celebration. [The color] black saying, "Yo, guys, you can't get away with it." And we're here and we're celebrating. I wish the color may have been maybe something more optimistic but at the same time these guys that are getting away with this stuff or did get away with—what they're doing is not optimistic. So I'm glad that this does feel like a celebration than it does mourning the loss of, I would say, innocence of a lot of people in Hollywood pursuing their dreams."

Nicole Kidman

"Well, I’ve been working, for two decades, to eradicate violence against women," she said. "It is so hard to be heard amongst all the noise, so I think right now we have a chance to be heard and that’s why we’re doing it. We’re all doing it because we’re asking to try and elicit change, and everyone will help and participate."

Rowan Blanchard

"Well, I think playing with color and using it as a way of solidarity is something that's really interesting," she told InStyle. "Earlier last year, we all wore red one day to recognize [the A Day Without Women movement]. Today we're recognizing women who have been sexually harassed, sexually abused, raped by powerful, powerful men. Or women. So, yeah. I don't know. It feels really amazing to witness."

Rumer Willis in Leanne Marshall

"You know I was so in a bubble of work that I didn't even know about the black dress thing until I walked into my fitting. And my stylist said, 'So you know about the black dress thing?' And I was like, 'What black dress thing?'" she told InStyle. "And I had asked for all these colored gowns. And then, you know, as soon as I found out, I think Gia found this beautiful kind of black gown. So I said that one. Easy."

Sarah Hyland in Rasario

"What I love about my dress is that it’s black, and I’m supporting timesupnow.com and the whole organization," she told InStyle. "I’m wearing Rasario, and they’re very, very happy to be a part of this whole initiative in supporting the sexual assault abuse victims, all that."

Shailene Woodley

"To me, it’s not the color black that’s meaningful as it is how many people are wearing black, and how many people are supporting this movement by using their bodies to visually represent something that sometimes our voices aren’t able to say, and sometimes our ears aren’t able to hear," she told InStyle. "Our solidarity that we’re witnessing is not limited to the film industry."

Susan Sarandon and Rosa Clemente

Sarandon: "Well, it’s about time, and the fact that we can have this conversation and talk about women in all industries that say that we stand together. I think that it’s just very important in fact to know that the women, the farm workers, who reached out to Hollywood first and said we know what it’s like to have these sexual harassment and violence problems. And we stand with you," Sarandon told InStyle. "And I think a light bulb went off. And so as all these different activists come forward who are very powerful women and, at the same time, vulnerable as every woman, women in your industry and every industry, that we have a chance to play this forward. And Rosa is really important because she’s just come back from Puerto Rico. And so she can bring us up to speed on something that nobody is talking about anymore 100 and some days later."

Clemente: "We’re almost 110 days after Hurricane Maria and half the island is still without power. Ninty percent don’t have access to drinking water. And when you don’t have those two basic human rights, the rest of the infrastructure falls apart," Clemente said. "People get sick. Children are not eating. It saddens me to have to remind people that this is 3.5 million American citizens because this is 3.5 million human beings that have a right to clean water, that have a right to not only survive but to thrive and have the ability to rebuild a nation. And, unfortunately, the U.S. government, many institutions as well as both parties have really purposefully been negligent in Puerto Rico."

—With reporting by Brandi Fowler and Brianna King