Jill Biden bids on Heated Rivalry role at LGBTQ fundraiser, raises $2 million

Jill Biden’s $35,000 bid for a walk-on role in season 2 of Heated Rivalry was quickly outbid at The Center’s annual Center Dinner in New York City, turning a celebrity-adjacent auction item into one of the night’s loudest fundraisers. The package also included dinner with the cast, and the bidding escalated so sharply that producers Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady expanded it into two walk-on roles sold at $125,000 each, producing a $250,000 donation to The Center.

The former first lady was welcomed with a standing ovation as the dinner opened, a response that reflected the political symbolism of her and former President Joe Biden’s long public support for LGBTQ+ rights. Biden later posted on social media that she would not be heading to the cottage after all, adding that the evening was worth a shot and praising the fundraiser for the New York City LGBTQ+ center.

The Center said the gala raised more than $2 million for programs serving LGBTQ+ New Yorkers. That haul underscored the role of the Center Dinner as the organization’s signature nonprofit fundraising event, a night that blends donor culture, entertainment and public signals of support into a single marquee gathering. The center itself was founded in 1983, at the height of the AIDS crisis, to provide a safe and affirming place for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers.

The auction item drew extra attention because Heated Rivalry is adapted from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers book series, and because Tierney and Brendan Brady were already being honored at the dinner for their work on the series. The evening also recognized Brooks Brothers Brand CEO Ken Ohashi and Gilead Sciences, placing corporate philanthropy alongside the entertainment world’s growing appetite for prestige-linked giving.

The event also leaned heavily into performance. RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 finalists Darlene Mitchell, Myki Meeks and Nini Coco performed, along with Melanie C, reinforcing the dinner’s mix of activism, celebrity and spectacle. Held at the Center’s signature fundraising gala, typically staged at Cipriani Wall Street, the night showed how political figures continue to use high-profile cultural events to signal solidarity while helping drive major donations for LGBTQ+ institutions.