Jewelry designer Alexis Bittar is set to host a fundraiser in New York City on Monday for Democrat Senate candidates James Talarico of Texas and Sherrod Brown of Ohio.
Tickets cost as much as $27,000, according to an invitation that lists Bittar at the top of the host committee. Actors Robert De Niro and Gina Gershon are also expected at the event, which is planned for a private location in downtown Manhattan.
Bittar has made his support for Talarico public. In an August Instagram post, he said he would help the Texas Democrat win his Senate race. He has also backed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The fundraiser puts renewed attention on Bittar’s public comments about the United States. During a July interview about a documentary he made on the American flag, he spoke about the future facing his three young children and called the country a “shithole.”
Bittar and filmmaker Bruce Cohen produced “Reclaim the Flag,” a documentary in which LGBTQ figures discuss what the American flag means to them. In the film, musician King Princess says seeing a flag outside a home can make her feel unwelcome. Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also appears in the documentary.
In an interview with Forbes, Bittar described the flag as “a symbol of aggression” during President Donald Trump’s era. He gave a fuller account of his views in Interview magazine, saying he had long felt disconnected from the flag but wanted Americans who felt the same way to claim it as their own and work to change the country.
Bittar is known for jewelry worn by former first lady Michelle Obama. His company has also promoted its products through “The Sexecutions of Amanda Gates,” a video series centered on a fictional female killer. The character wears Bittar jewelry in scenes styled as a crime story.
“I am always intrigued by people who kill,” Bittar told V Magazine when the series launched in December. He said he wanted to examine the personal histories of people who commit murder.
