The Guardian reported that well-known climate activist Leonardo DiCaprio was in Venice on Friday for Jeff Bezos’ wedding, which attracted over 90 private jets to the city.
Photographers caught DiCaprio, recognized as a Messenger of Peace for United Nations Climate Change, alongside Bezos, who was trying to hide his identity with a baseball cap while boarding a boat. Bezos married Lauren Sanchez during the event.
It remains uncertain if DiCaprio arrived by private jet, although many other celebrity guests did. Among them were Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and the Kardashian/Jenner family, flying in for the occasion.
According to reports, there were more than 90 private jets that descended upon Venice for the wedding festivities.
However, not everyone was celebrating. Greenpeace protesters gathered at St. Mark’s Square, holding up banners that read, “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes,” expressing discontent with the lavish event.
This area of the city, along with others, is particularly vulnerable to flooding due to its unique construction on layers of sediment across numerous islands in a lagoon.
In an agreement with Venice’s mayor, Bezos reportedly committed millions of euros to support research on the lagoon’s ecosystem.
Over the past century, Venice has been sinking roughly 9 inches, a fact that has raised alarms about the preservation of its cultural heritage. This subsidence, linked to both the city’s infrastructure and rising global sea levels, poses significant risks of severe flooding and erosion.
DiCaprio has often highlighted climate change as a central issue. He directed a documentary titled “Before the Flood” in 2016, where he discussed climate matters with then-President Barack Obama regarding the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
At the 2014 Climate Summit, DiCaprio emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change, noting the increasing frequency and severity of climate events. He actively engages with various organizations focused on environmental protection and wildlife welfare.
