There are some events that bring together a truly bizarre combination of celebrities: B-tier Oscars parties, gifting suites at the Sundance Film Festival, the comment section of Jen Meyer’s engagement post. However, no other annual event gives us quite as good a mix of A-listers as the Malibu Chili Cook-Off.
Where else are you going to get Jamie Foxx, Addison Rae, and Damien Chazelle all in one place? If Hollywood cared about art, the answer would be on a film set, but I digress. TMZ spotted all of them at the chili cook-off over Labor Day weekend. Are you wondering why a chili cook-off in what is still very much summer (especially in Malibu) is such a draw for famous people? Well, it’s not just about the chili. There are rides, DJ sets, and something the website calls a “mini-ramp skate competition.” It’s basically just a carnival with more chili than usual.
Also spotted attending the cook-off were Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, Amber Rose, Gene Simmons, Candace Parker, North West, and Christian Bale. Obviously, these people weren’t all hanging out together, but it’s hard to imagine any other circumstance in which they’d be in the same place. Chili really is the great unifier.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the Malibu Chili Cook-Off, it’s kind of a celebrity hot spot. Imagine Coachella but with fewer brand activations and more beans. Last year had a low celeb turnout, but back in 2022 it really popped off. Lana Del Rey was there with her then fiancé (she’s since moved on), Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez failed to win a prize at a basketball booth (they, too, have since moved on), and Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were arm in arm (they are still together, thank God).
How fun is it to see A-listers spending their three-day weekend eating heavy food before getting on a ferris wheel that may or may not be up to code? Stars, they really are just like us!
