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Legendary Actress Torches Billionaire Bill Gates

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Michelle Pfeiffer
Photo Credit: joyparris, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer blasted billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates over the federal approval of a chemical coating being applied to organic produce.

The 67-year-old Hollywood veteran took to Instagram Stories on Thursday to voice her concern over a substance called Apeel, an edible, plant-derived coating developed to extend the shelf life of fresh produce.

“Apeel was just approved and now ‘organic’ produce is coated in something we cannot see or wash off,” Pfeiffer wrote. “Very concerning.”

Pfeiffer’s message appeared above a reposted warning that stated, “Organic produce is no longer safe. Bill Gates’ Apeel just got approved for USDA-certified organic.”

In addition to voicing her concerns, the “Scarface” and “Batman Returns” actress offered advice to her followers on which grocery retailers allegedly do not stock produce treated with the additive.

Though Pfeiffer is far from the only celebrity to weigh in on food safety in recent years, her post stirred controversy in part due to its suggestion of Gates’ direct involvement with Apeel Sciences, the company behind the product.

The company was founded in 2012 by entrepreneur James Rogers and received a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in its early days.

However, representatives for the company insist that Gates has no ongoing financial stake in the business.

“To set the record straight: Bill Gates is not now, nor has he ever been, a shareholder in Apeel Sciences,” the company said in a statement to media outlets.

While distancing itself from the tech mogul, Apeel accused Pfeiffer of spreading misinformation.

“It is both disappointing and concerning to see a public figure like Michelle Pfeiffer use her platform to spread disinformation about our company, our mission, and the work of our employees,” a company spokesperson told Page Six.

“Apeel Sciences remains committed to correcting the record and defending our work in the face of disinformation,” the spokesperson added.

“We urge Ms. Pfeiffer and others to do their research before contributing to the spread of falsehoods on social media,” they continued.

The company also noted that its produce coating is not a recent innovation, nor is it as immutable as some online rumors suggest.

“Our products have been reviewed and allowed on the market in compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. National Organic Program requirements for nearly eight years—not recently, as Ms. Pfeiffer’s post suggests,” the spokesperson continued.

Apeel’s leadership maintains that the coating is not only safe, but derived entirely from natural substances.

Jenny Du, the company’s co-founder and senior VP of operations, defended the product in comments made to the Associated Press.

“Apeel uses plant lipids or plant oils naturally found in fruits and vegetables and creates a coating applied to the surface of fresh fruits and vegetables in order to retain moisture and reduce oxidation,” Du explained. “Our product is also intended to be edible.”

The billionaire has come under renewed scrutiny following his announcement that he plans to give away nearly all of his wealth before his death, resulting in a dramatic $51 billion drop in his net worth.

According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, Gates’ fortune fell from $175 billion on July 3 to $124 billion within days after he confirmed his intention to gradually transfer assets through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In a blog post earlier this year, Gates wrote, “People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them.”

The longtime Microsoft CEO, who once held the title of the world’s richest man, has since slid to 12th place on Bloomberg’s global wealth ranking.

The billionaire’s decision to ramp up philanthropic efforts comes amid what he describes as a troubling decline in global humanitarian support.

Gates has openly criticized the Trump administration’s cuts to international aid programs, particularly those administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Trump placed multiple USAID employees on administrative leave, leading to the agency’s full closure by June 30.

“The devastating effects of these cuts are entirely preventable—and it’s not too late to reverse them,” Gates posted on X, formerly Twitter, just last week.

Speaking in Ethiopia this summer, Gates elaborated on the consequences.

“A lot of cuts are being made in foreign aid programs. Some of those cuts are being made so abruptly that there are complete interruptions in trials, or medicines are still sitting in warehouses and are not available,” he commented.

“And these cuts are something that I think are a huge mistake.”

In an appearance on NBC’s “TODAY” show, Gates recounted his attempts to persuade Trump officials to maintain foreign aid funding.

“I went by the White House because there’s a lot in this transition, what we keep, in terms of foreign aid, what we keep—it’s all kind of up in the air,” he told host Savannah Guthrie.

“And I’m doing my best to make sure we keep the things that I think are very value-based.”

He added that while his meeting with Trump in February was brief, he had an extended discussion with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, whom he described as “very thoughtful.”

“I went through that ‘Hey, I’ve been out in the field with USAID,'” Gates said. “It’s unbelievable what an asset that is. I know all the development agencies of all the countries, and this is the best of them.”

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