Charlize Theron joked Jeff Bezos' wedding guests "suck"

Opening the fundraiser at the Universal Studios backlot, she quipped: "I think we might be the only people who did not get an invite to the Bezos wedding. But that's OK because they suck and we're cool."

The 49-year-old actress noted how "the world feels like it's burning" at the moment and slammed legislation for "moving backwards fast".

She said: "[Thank you for] taking the time to be a part of this, especially when the world feels like it's burning because it is.

"Here in Los Angeles, in the U.S. and across the globe, we're moving backwards fast. Immigration policy has destroyed the lives of families, not criminals; women's rights are becoming less and less every day; queer and trans lives are increasingly being erased; and gender-based violence is on the rise.

"This isn't just policy, it's personal."

To applause from the audience, she added: "Yeah, f*** em."

Charlize - who was deported from the US back to South Africa at 19 for overstaying her work visa but later returned and became an American citizen in 2007 - also warned about "dangerous" cuts to foreign aid schemes.

She said: "[They have] brought HIV and AIDS programs in my home country of South Africa to an absolute standstill. All of this is not just detrimental, it's dangerous; people will lose their lives - many have already, unfortunately, and at a frightening rate. It's absolutely heartbreaking to see this kind of unnecessary suffering."

However, the Bombshell star insisted there is still "hope".

She said: "But what we also see, what we cannot miss, is the resistance. There is hope. There is power in all of us standing up, organizing, protesting, voting, and caring for each other, and refusing to accept that this is the new normal.

"That spirit of resistance, justice and care for each other, that's the spirit that drives the work at CTAOP. And although our focus is on the youth in Southern Africa, what we're really talking about here tonight is that all lives should be valued. Everyone should have the right to be healthy and safe and should be able to be seen."

The event - which raises money for CTAOP's work supporting the health and safety of young people in South Africa - saw a performance from Renee Rapp, while Charlize and her Old Guard 2 co-star KiKi Layne took part in a live version of Sean Evans' Hot Ones alongside the highest bidder from the night's fundraising auction.