Why Kim Kardashian West Made Variety's 'Power of Women' Issue

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ET was exclusively at photoshoots with Kim Kardashian West, Lena Dunham, Glenn Close, Rachel Weisz and Whoopi Goldberg for Variety's special Power of Women issue, honoring celebrities who have used their influence to help others.

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While Kim K. may be perceived as somewhat fame hungry, she's been using her status to help lift the spirits of patients at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

"Sometimes they'll just sit and talk. Sometimes they'll paint each other's nails," Variety deputy awards and features editor Jenelle Riley told ET. "And they love taking selfies with her. She has a very personal connection to it. She lost her father to cancer. She recently donated all of her gifts from her baby shower to a hospital in Chicago, which is where Kanye grew up."

Dunham earned her spot on the list for shining a spotlight on the group GEMS, which helps victims of sexual trafficking.

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"As a survivor of sexual abuse herself, she wanted to bring attention to teenage victims of sexual abuse," Riley said.

Weisz, the daughter of a teacher, works with The Opportunity Network to help needy kids get ready for college.

"When she decided to make New York her home with husband Daniel Craig, she really wanted to do something that involved education and did it locally," Riley said.

After harboring a childhood obsession with ice skating, Goldberg is now an honorary chair of Figure Skating in Harlem, a nonprofit that helps young girls learn leadership and academic skills through ice skating.

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"I always wanted to be in the Ice Capades," Goldberg told Variety. Goldberg said that she was a great speed skater but she couldn't remember seeing any black ice skaters on TV.

Close's sister and nephew suffer from mental disorders, which lead the Golden Globe winner to form Bring Change 2 Mind. The organization works "against the stigma that surrounds mental illness," Close said.

"It's a chronic illness like anything else," she added.

The magazine, in partnership with Lifetime, will honor these women in person during Variety’s Power of Women Luncheon in New York on Friday, April 24.

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