Rihanna is sending out an "SOS" about HIV for her fans.
The "Umbrella" singer has partnered with Mac Cosmetics in an awareness campaign that is designed to educate young people about the virus.
As part of this campaign, Rihanna walked the red carpet at a recent Hollywood screening of It's Not Over, a new documentary by Andrew Jenks about three young people living with HIV in different areas of the world, which is now streaming on Netflix.
The subjects are Paige, an American teenage girl born with the virus who raises awareness of HIV issues in schools throughout the country; Sarang, a gay playwright from India who is staging a production in support of same-sex marriage; and Lucky, an educator from South Africa who is trying to prevent youth from making poor life decisions.
Standing alongside these extraordinary young people, Rihanna revealed to The Advocate that it was the statistics about HIV infection that shocked her into participating: Young people ages 13 to 24 accounted for 26 percent of new infections in the U.S. in 2010, according to a recent CDC report.
"That's younger than I am!" the 26-year-old singer exclaimed. "That's how real that is. And people don't know that, especially young people ... and I think the only way to stop it is to have people know what's going on."
Rihanna cited her concern for the welfare of the youth as the primary motivator for her HIV activism. In addition to promoting the film, the pop icon has also launched a makeup line with Viva Glam, where 100 percent of the profits go toward helping persons affected by HIV.
"I am very close with my fans, and when MAC approached me about this, I got a whole lot of information ... a lot of heartbreaking real statistics that I didn't know," Rihanna said. "They were very shocking for me, and it's something that I felt was important for me to get the word out, to spread the word, to educate young people, educate my fans on a matter that's really killing us and killing the youth."
Above, from left: Filmmaker Andrew Jenks; MAC AIDS Fund global executive director Nancy Mahon; singer Rihanna,; chairman of the MAC AIDS Fund and group president, the Estee Lauder Companies Inc., John Demsey; and MAC Cosmetics global brand president Karen Buglisi Weiler attend the premiere of It's Not Over presented by MAC Cosmetics and MAC AIDS Fund at Quixote Studios November 18 in Los Angeles.
The "Diamonds" singer is following in the footsteps of one of her role models, late actress and advocate Elizabeth Taylor, who cofounded amfAR, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, and other HIV organizations. In fact, at the 2014 amfAR LA Inspiration Gala, Rihanna bid $100,000 on a photograph ofTaylor, which was signed by artist Willy Rizzo.
"Everybody loves Elizabeth Taylor!" Rihanna said. "She's very glamorous. She's the best that's ever done it. But it was for a good cause. I didn't mind spending every penny on it, because it all went to charity."
It's Not Over airs on Pivot on World AIDS Day, and is now streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.
It's Not Over Trailer from Its Not Over on Vimeo.
