British celebrities and musicians react to ‘Brexit’ vote

As the world wraps its head around the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, celebrities hailing from the U.K. took to social media to register their reactions to the referendum results. 

In May, a coalition of more than 250 celebrated British artists signed an open letter, urging voters to support remaining in the E.U. The celebrities included actors Patrick Stewart, Keira Knightley, Benedict Cumberbatch, author John le Carré and director Steve McQueen. 

“Britain is not just stronger in Europe, it is more imaginative and more creative, and our global creative success would be severely weakened by walking away,” the statement read, in part. “From the Bard to Bowie, British creativity inspires and influences the rest of the world. We believe that being part of the E.U. bolsters Britain’s leading role on the world stage.”

On Tuesday, some of Britain’s most prominent producers, including Barbara Broccoli and Matthew Vaughn, penned an open letter of their own in support of staying in the European Union. In the days preceding Thursday’s vote, some also turned to their Instagram feeds to state their positions.

Some celebrities, like actor Hugh Laurie and James Buckley took a rather cheeky tone with their tweets, with Laurie giving directions to those who wish to leave and Buckley embracing the silver-lining of the  referendum decision. 

Others expressed deep dismay at what the decision would mean for the future of Britain’s youth. 

Songstress Ellie Goulding and CBS late-night host James Corden both seemed particularly upset by the idea of Britain’s departure from the E.U.

The tweets reflected a gamut of emotions, from that of former One Direction member Zayn Malik’s positive resolution for a better tomorrow to Oasis founding father Liam Gallegher’s wish to forgo the world altogether, to author Philip Pullman’s resigned metaphor for the entire referendum. 

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom in celebrity timelines. At least Elizabeth Hurley and her dog were happy. 

But perhaps the most moving summations came from two disparate sources. 

One was a stirring photo posted by former “Downton Abbey” star Dan Stevens that displays a table full of lush, diverse food and, isolated in a corner, a tin of beans. The post represented Stevens’ view that Britain had chosen to isolate itself from Europe.

The other was a simple tweet from J.K. Rowling, author behind the “Harry Potter” series who, instead of spending hundreds of thousands of words expressing her sadness, made do with just eight.

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Twitter: @midwestspitfire

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