Monique Coleman paid tribute to Ted Turner on Thursday, following news of the media mogul’s death. Turner’s $1 billion personal donation to the United Nations Foundation remains one of the largest individual charitable gifts in American history. Coleman says his passing leaves a real hole in the world.
Coleman is probably best known as Taylor McKessie from High School Musical, but she’s spent a large part of her career working as a UN advocate and ambassador. She posted a tribute on Instagram. It was equal parts celebration and sadness. “The world lost a true giant today,” she wrote. “Ted Turner didn’t just build an empire, he used it to serve humanity in the most audacious and generous of ways.”
Turner was one of the most influential figures in 20th century American media. He launched CNN in 1980, the world’s first 24-hour cable news network. He grew Turner Broadcasting System into a dominant force in American television. He built enormous wealth doing it. Then he gave a massive portion of that wealth away.
In 1997, Turner pledged $1 billion to the United Nations, spread over ten years. That gift created the United Nations Foundation, an organization built to channel private philanthropic dollars into UN programs and global causes. Very few individuals had ever given at that scale. The pledge helped establish private philanthropy as a meaningful force in global policy.
Coleman had a front-row seat to what that generosity produced. In 2012, she hosted the UN Association Global Leadership Dinner. In her post, she described the experience as witnessing “the ripple effects of his extraordinary philanthropy” firsthand.
One of the most visible of those ripple effects is Girl Up. It grew out of the UN Foundation and became a global movement aimed at giving young women the tools and confidence to lead. Coleman didn’t just attend an event and walk away. She supported Girl Up for more than 15 years. It became one of the most consistent commitments of her public career.
Her tribute was warm and personal. “Mr. Turner proved that one person with bold conviction really can change the world,” she wrote. She also spoke to the timing. “In a moment when global leadership and shared humanity feel more urgent than ever, his absence is deeply felt.”
She closed by addressing Turner directly. “Thank you, Ted, for showing us what it looks like to use your platform for something far greater than yourself. Rest well sir.”
Turner’s death drew tributes from media, politics, and philanthropy on Thursday. His UN Foundation work touched global health, the environment, and nuclear security. Girl Up now operates in more than 100 countries. The programs give young women access to leadership training and civic education.
For Coleman, this one is personal. Her connection to Turner’s work stretched over 15 years. She stayed involved. She kept coming back to the work and made Girl Up a consistent part of her public life. Her post didn’t read like a prepared statement. It read like a message from someone who lived inside the work Turner made possible.
Turner built empires in broadcasting and in generosity. One person’s bold conviction produced real programs and real opportunities for young women around the globe. Coleman’s tribute was a reminder of that. Those effects are still visible decades later.
