Mila Kunis was a bit shocked at the start of her last appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “You had me follow Oprah?” a visibly stunned Mila, 38, asked Ellen DeGeneres, referring to how DeGeneres’ mentor paid a visit to congratulate her protégé after 19 seasons. With Ellen’s final show airing on Thursday (May 26), Mila paid one last visit to the set but seemed like she wished she stayed home. “Literally the worst thing — I was sitting there going, ‘Oh my god. This is my worst nightmare come true,’” said Mila. Thankfully, Ellen, 64, had a way to make it up to her friend.
“I adore you. I think you’re an amazing human being and what’s happening in Ukraine is heartbreaking,” said Ellen. Ellen brought up how Mila and Ashton Kutcher have spearheaded the celebrity efforts to raise funds for those affected by Russia’s invasion. To help with some of the “suffering” going through the country, Ellen and Tisbest.org gave Mila $30,000 to help with the efforts.
As of the end of May 2022, Ashton and Mila’s GoFundMe had raised $36.6 million dollars, with Mila and Ashton donating $3 million of their own money. When the campaign had reached the $30 million goal in March, the couple released a video thanking all those who donated. “We’re overwhelmed with gratitude for the support, and while this is far from a salve of the problem, our collective effort will provide a softer landing for so many people as they forge ahead into their future of uncertainty,” said Mila.
At the end of March, Ashton and Mila appeared on CNN+’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace to discuss their efforts. They also spoke about talking about the war with their daughter Wyatt, 7, and son Dimitri, 5. “I don’t speak Ukrainian. When I was raised in Ukraine it was still under the USSR umbrella, so I spoke Russian which is what we all spoke,” Mila said. “So my kids understand Russian. I speak Russian with my parents. I was like, ‘It’s good to know another language.’ That’s all I kept thinking. I never thought culturally speaking was important for where they came from.”
“It seemed like overnight we both turned to her kids and we’re like, ‘You are half Ukrainian, half American.’ It instantly became a thing,” she added. “And they’re like, ‘Yeah, I get it mom.’ But it is ultimately incredibly important to know where you came from.”