Publicizing the (In)visible? Celebrities, Anti-Human Trafficking Activism, and Feminist Ideologies

This article examines celebrities’ anti-human trafficking activism from 2000 to 2016 to interpret how they use their fame and personal experiences to publicize feminist issues. Drawing from an original dataset, I argue first that celebrities represent human trafficking in ways that circulate various feminist ideologies. Next, I juxtapose Ashley Judd and Jada Pinkett Smith to examine how individual celebrities adopt, reflect, and complicate these representations and ideologies, arguing here that celebrities variously deploy their personal stories to challenge and reinforce race and gender hierarchies. The conclusion considers this research’s broader implications for understanding celebrities, feminism, and policy debates.