Madonna, Carole King, Jennifer Lopez and more stars are remembering Gloria Steinem following the death of the pioneering feminist, journalist and activist at age 92.
Steinem died Wednesday at her home in New York City, “surrounded by some of the many who loved her,” according to a statement shared on her official Instagram account. The statement said she continued working for equality until the end of her life.
For the generations of women who followed in the path Steinem helped forge, the tributes that poured across social media Thursday carried a common message of gratitude.
Madonna remembered Steinem in an Instagram Story alongside a photo of the pair together. “Thank you Gloria Steinem,” the pop icon wrote. “The O.G. Baddie! You fought so many battles and you opened so many doors for me. For us. Respect.”
Songwriter Diane Warren shared a photo of herself with Steinem, writing, “Thank U for fighting for us Gloria. Fight in Power Forever.”
Carole King also reflected on the generations who will continue Steinem’s work, sharing a photo of the activist in her younger years. “As we elders, our daughters, and our granddaughters continue the fight for power, equality, and respect, we hold you in our hearts with love and gratitude,” the singer/songwriter wrote. “Rest in peace and power.”
Bette Midler paid tribute to Steinem’s role in reshaping what women believed was possible, writing that she and the women who worked alongside her “lit the way for every woman with a dream.”
“We owe her so much,” Midler added. “Thank you, Gloria, and bravo.”
Patti Smith similarly saluted Steinem’s “revolutionary spirit” and “a lifetime of service” in a post featuring a black-and-white photograph of the activist.
Meanwhile, the members of L7 looked back on a specific moment they shared with Steinem, posting a photo from a 1995 benefit concert in Washington, D.C., that she organized for Voters for Choice. The band had performed alongside Pearl Jam, Neil Young with Crazy Horse and Lisa Germano.
“Rest In Power Ms. Gloria Steinem,” L7 wrote. “We THANK YOU.”
Jennifer Lopez also remembered Steinem as a “fierce, amazing, gracious, beautiful, kind, smart, fearless, powerful and unapologetic woman” who uplifted other women and “changed the world.”
Another pop star, Olivia Rodrigo, honored the activist by reposting a vintage photograph of Steinem holding a sign reading, “We shall overcome,” to her Instagram Story.
Paris Hilton shared multiple photos of herself with Steinem, calling the activist “a true trailblazer who spent her life fighting for women to have a voice, equality and the freedom to be who they are.”
Hilton also reflected on standing alongside Steinem earlier this year to ring the New York Stock Exchange’s closing bell for International Women’s Day. “It was such an honor to share that moment with a woman who paved the way for so many of us,” she wrote.
Even Miss Piggy joined the tributes, sharing a photograph with Steinem and remembering the activist as someone who profoundly influenced her.
“One simply cannot define ‘trailblazer’ without mentioning the icon that was Gloria Steinem,” the Muppets character wrote. “Few people have inspired and influence moi more than dear Gloria.”
A post from Gloria Steinem Foundation also resurfaced a photo of Steinem next to Dolly Parton at Ms. magazine’s Women of the Year ceremony in 1987. It’s a sentimental reminder of the impact she held across pop culture, and it serves as a subtle tribute to Dolly’s recent passing as well.
Steinem became one of the most recognizable figures in the American women’s movement and spent decades advocating for gender equality and other civil rights causes. She co-founded Ms. magazine and remained active as a writer and organizer well into her later years. In 2013, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The statement announcing her death remembered Steinem not only for her activism, but for the way she connected with others, saying her greatest gift was making people feel “seen and heard.”
It also noted that Steinem spent her recent years writing and bringing people together through Talking Circles at her longtime New York home. Her forthcoming book, An Unexpected Life, is among the projects she leaves behind.
As the tributes continue to arrive, the words used to describe Steinem may vary — trailblazer, revolutionary, fearless, powerful — but the sentiment remains remarkably consistent. Her work changed the lives and possibilities of generations of women, and those who benefited from the doors she helped open are now looking back with gratitude.
Read the full statement of her passing below.
