Ben Stiller, renowned actor and goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has refuted claims circulating on social media that his 2022 visit to Ukraine was funded by American tax dollars. The actor visited Ukraine to mark World Refugee Day. Stiller clarified that he personally financed the trip, dismissing allegations of receiving funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as "totally false" and "untrue." These accusations, originating from Russian media, have sparked controversy and misinformation across platforms.
Stiller’s journey to Ukraine aimed to highlight the plight of people displaced by war and conflict, aligning with UNHCR's mission to "stand in solidarity with people displaced by war and conflict all around the world." Despite his noble intentions, social media posts accused him of spending $4 million of American tax money on the trip. These posts also targeted other celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Sean Penn, Orlando Bloom, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, alleging that they received payments for similar visits to Ukraine.
The unfounded claims were propagated through posts accompanied by a misleading video featuring a news watermark and an odd-sounding voice. Interestingly, X, a social media platform owned by Elon Musk, flagged these posts with advisories that additional context had been added to the video.
"These are lies coming from Russian media. I completely self-funded my humanitarian trip to Ukraine. There was no funding from USAID and certainly no payment of any kind." – Ben Stiller
USAID, established in 1961 by an executive order from President John F. Kennedy, has found itself at the center of these false claims. The organization plays a crucial role in improving conditions across more than 100 countries by supporting self-reliance and counteracting global threats.
"Our objective is to support partners to become self-reliant and capable of leading their own development journeys. We make progress toward this by reducing the reach of conflict, preventing the spread of pandemic disease, and counteracting the drivers of violence, instability, transnational crime and other security threats," – USAID
The agency's operations faced challenges during the Trump administration when foreign aid programs were frozen, and a significant portion of its employees were furloughed. Currently, Elon Musk is leading a team called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that has targeted USAID for dismantling. Musk holds the status of a "special government employee," adding another dimension to the discourse around foreign aid.
