Chrissy Teigen, Seth Rogen, Don Cheadle donate to Minnesota Freedom Fund

As protests over the killing of George Floyd and other innocent Black Americans continued throughout the weekend in the U.S. and beyond, ways to support the cause became one of the most searched topics online. For many, that meant helping to bail out the thousands of protesters who were arrested in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed.On Wednesday, celebrities began springing into action and opening their wallets to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a not-for-profit organization that helps to keep low income individuals from serving time while awaiting their trials minor offenses and those sitting in ICE detention facilities.[video_embed id='1969019']RELATED: Michael B. Jordan, Halsey, Jamie Foxx attend Black Lives Matter protests[/video_embed]Canadian actor Seth Rogen and Uncut Gems directors the Safdie brothers started a donation tweet chain about the Minnesota Freedom Fund on Thursday, which prompted other celebrities like Don Cheadle, Kehlani, Jameela Jamil, Abbi Jacobson, Nick Kroll, Pete Holmes, Kali Uchis, Steve Carell, Ben Schwartz, Janelle Monae and Patton Oswalt to use the hashtag #Matched to confirm that they too had donated.

(And then much more)

— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) May 30, 2020

matched https://t.co/OZ2P4PTwud

— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) May 28, 2020

Matched https://t.co/bmeP30vGX4

— Steve Carell (@SteveCarell) May 28, 2020

Just matched you . ???? https://t.co/lp0ZtdRvTX

— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather (@JanelleMonae) May 28, 2020

Following President Trump’s tweet on Saturday that it was ‘MAGA night at the White House,’ Chrissy Teigen pledged to donating $100,000 to help bail out protesters.

In celebration of whatever the fuck maga night is, I am committed to donating $100,000 to the bail outs of protestors across the country.

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 30, 2020

Teigen doubled her donation after a troll accused her of supporting looting.

Ooo they might need more money then. Make it $200,000 https://t.co/axuJnazJkU

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 30, 2020

In addition, Teigen’s husband John Legend confirmed that the couple would also be donating to the Bail Project, the National Lawyers Guild and the Movement 4 Black Lives.

Americans have the first amendment right to peacefully protest oppression and injustice. Chrissy and I will be donating to these 3 organizations which are organizing, supporting and defending those marching for justice: @Mvmnt4BlkLives @nlgnews @bailproject https://t.co/whxOPQQuTu

— John Legend (@johnlegend) May 31, 2020

Minnesota Freedom Fund board member Steve Boland told Forbes that prior to celebrities tweeting about their organization, they had raised $80,000 for the year. After last Wednesday, that number is now closer to $20 million thanks to the generosity of 150,000 unique donors. Boland said that the MFF is now encouraging those who want to donate to direct their funds to other important organizations, including Reclaim the Block and Black Visions Collective.

We encourage people to generously donate to George Floyd’s family & local orgs that are Black& BIPOC led, @BlackVisionsMN @reclaimtheblock

Please see our full message on our website. #justiceforgeorgefloyd #BlackLivesMatter #FreeThemAll pic.twitter.com/zkU1ZWbqKq— Minnesota Freedom Fund (@MNFreedomFund) May 31, 2020

The practice of forcing people to pay a cash bail in order to maintain their freedom while awaiting trial can have devastating effects on those charged with minor, non-violent crimes, including the separation of parents from their children, the loss of jobs and housing, and mental, physical and emotional abuse endured in the jail system.In 2017, a documentary produced by Jay-Z profiled Kalief Browder, a New York teen who was arrested in 2010 for allegedly stealing a backpack. Browder was unable to make bail and spent three years on Rikers Island, enduring physical and sexual abuse and spending two years in solitary confinement. Browder was eventually cleared of his charges but died of suicide two years later.[video_embed id='1966986']Tyrone Edwards shares why he can no longer remain silent about racism[/video_embed]