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Kim Kardashian Joins George Clooney, Julia Roberts at Sean Penn Haiti Benefit

E! reality star surprise guest at $5 million fundraiser. Find out what she told us

By Marc Malkin Jan 15, 2012 7:10 PMTags
Kim KardashianAlberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Kim Kardashian is continuing to speak out in support of Haiti.

And last night, she did just that beside mega-celebs like Sean Penn, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Leonardo DiCaprio...

The E! reality star was a surprise guest last night at the Cinema For Peace benefit for the J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO) at the Montage hotel in Beverly Hills.

"I went to [Haiti] to educate myself and see what it was like," Kardashian told me, referring to her recent humanitarian trip to the country. "Going and seeing that there's so much that needs to be done, I didn't even know where to start."

But start she did and she promises to continue. "I can't wait to go back," Kardashian said.

I'm told Kardashian was at the event as a guest of philanthropist and movie producer Mohammed Al Turki.

Penn was honored with the Cinema for Peace Award for Humanitarian Action in Haiti.

Also attending were Demi Moore and daughter Rumer Willis, Mel Gibson, Josh Brolin, Diane Lane, Hilary Swank, James Gandolfini, Felicity Jones, Emily Watson, model (and Penn's ex-girlfriend) Petra Nemcova, fashion designer Donna Karan, CAA honchos Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane and producer brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein.

The highlight of the night was a live auction that saw singer Damien Rice winning a guitar used by Bono for a whopping $475,000. Julia Roberts' husband Danny Moder was one of two people who paid $50,000 for a trip to Haiti to work alongside Penn.

A $100,000 ring designed and owned by Angelina Jolie went for $60,000 to businessman and major J/P HRO supporter Richard Holz.

The evening raised $5 million for the group's ongoing relief efforts. Half of the funds came from a matching pledge made by Oprah Winfrey in a pre-taped video.

"There's something about Haiti that gets into your veins and you want to keep going back," said Soliel Moon Frey, who has made two trips there with J/P HRO. "And when you see the incredible progress and the work that Sean and J/P HRO is doing, you're in awe."

Roberts presented an award to Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief of staff, Cheryl Mills.