The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire yesterday in a blaze that destroyed its spire and roof. While thankfully nobody was killed in the massive fire (although a firefighter was reportedly injured), and much of the cathedral structure is still intact, people around the world are in mourning of the landmark.
That includes celebrities like Cher, Idris Elba, Anne Hathaway, Josh Brolin and Maisie Williams. The stars have taken to social media to share emotional messages.Here’s what they had to say:
- “What a devastation occurrence today,” writes Sean Hayes along with a crying emoji.
- “I’m heartbroken for Paris, for France, for us all, everywhere,” offers Rob Lowe. “My life is better for having seen its splendor.”
- “Devastation & [hearbreak],” writes Cher. “French are strong, & [USA] & The [World] Will Never Forget Those with The Spirit Of La Marseillaise.”
- Idris Elba simply says he “cannot believe what’s happening to Notre Dame.”
- Hathaway says that while the blaze “brings tears to my eyes,” she knows that “even flames cannot diminish her sacredness.” “I know this is an inspired representation of an even greater divinity,” she writes. “I know this blessed place is a human-made interpretation of what is mysterious, unknowable, and undefinable…. Still, not her. Please. Not her.”
- Brolin remembers visiting the cathedral “again and again through the years,” and says he “always came out better outfitted for life’s chaos.” “You played the sweetest violins while I slept in your pews in my Rimbaudian youth,” he adds. “Notre Dame we will miss you as you were, whispering through your stones pores anecdotes that felt nothing less than maternal adoration.”
- Williams took a break from celebrating her birthday to send a message about the tragic fire. “Interrupting my birthday to express how much pain I’m in watching the Notre Dame fire unfold,” she writes. “Such an incredible building. I’m so sad.”
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
See these and more tributes below.