Embed from Getty Images
Sandra Bullock, who should be a part of every Women of Hollywood feature, made an appearance at Monday’s ELLE Women in Hollywood Celebration. The 54-year-old actress was there to present an award to her Oceans 8 co-star and all-around goddess, Sarah Paulson.
Sandra started her speech by saying “it’s been a crappy few weeks.” Her father died on September 18 at the age of 93, and she lost her two dogs around the same time. Sandra is a dog lover who has adopted dogs with special needs. She’s had three dogs, all adopted from California animal shelters. There was Poppy, a three-legged Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix, Ruby, a two-legged Chihuahua, and BeBe, a one-eyed Chihuahua. Back in 2015, she also added a German Shepherd to the family after a stalker broke into her home. Sandra mentioned that she had to put down Poppy, but I couldn’t find which of the other dogs recently passed. I can only imagine how hard all of these compounded losses have got to be. At least Sandra has the emotional support of boyfriend Bryan Randall.
So, not only is she an advocate for animals, she’s also a great friend, as she had nothing but sweet, sincere things to say about Sarah, whom she referred to as “brilliant.” She’s not wrong there. Here’s what she had to say about Sarah and her partner Holland Taylor:
“I was going to write a nice speech about all the things I like about Sarah Paulson. Sarah Catharine Paulson, she likes when you use her middle name, or Powell-son, as my 5-year-old calls her. But it’s been a crappy few weeks. My dad died, both of my dogs died. You turn on the television or computer and it’s endless tragedies and it seems like more than ever now if you have a vagina, you have to be a fighter as well. So I don’t feel nice. So I decided tonight I’m going to talk about all the things I don’t like about Sarah.”
“I don’t like the fact that she can wear things that look like a child threw a box of highlighters. Or that she dissembled her grandmother’s couch and reassembled it with safety pins. And still takes your breath away the minute she walks on the red carpet. I don’t like that bravery and I don’t like that it’s inspiring. I don’t like that she loves so deeply and so openly. And I don’t like that she is loved so deeply and so openly by extraordinary people because it only shines the light on how I just need to be better. I don’t like her work ethic. It reminds me that I need to work harder.”
“I don’t like that her and Holland’s joy for life and each other reminds me that I need to be a better girlfriend. I don’t like that she’s the kind of person that after a long day of flying and fittings will sit in your hotel room after you believe she has nowhere else to go when in fact she is fully aware that you’ve been stood up and she doesn’t want you to be alone. Just like I didn’t like the dozens upon dozens upon roses with little white poppies intermingled in them mere hours after I put my dog to sleep, whose name happens to be Poppy. So if that is the type of person you want for your icon, then I think you have chosen well.”
In addition, Sandra made a case for women nurturing their relationships with their female friends, as it has healthy benefits:
“They provide support systems that help each other deal with the stress and difficulties in life, physically. This quality girlfriend time helps create more serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and create a general feeling of well being, we share from our souls with our sisters, our mothers, and evidently that is very good for our health.”
She may be having a crappy couple of weeks, but I suspect we all kind of are. Luckily, she’s got friends like Sarah to help her make it through the tough times. I am also relatively confident that there will soon once again be the pitter-patter of puppy feet in Sandra’s house. I think it’s great that she provides a home for these special doggos. She’s just great.
Photos: Getty, WENN/Joe Alvarez
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmbnFmZ4Rze9KapZ2qkZSvtrjLqJqkl5ykwLWrx56pmJyRmayiusOYq7Cnj6SzoLTEq5adp5eorKK%2Bzq6lnZeknbKgv8CmnJismaKycA%3D%3D