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Benedict Cumberbatch to House a Ukrainian Family That Fled the War

By Miguel A. Melendez‍ 1:33 PM PDT, April 28, 2022

Tristar Media/WireImage

Benedict Cumberbatch is doing more than opening his heart to refugees fleeing Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. He's also opening his home -- and his checkbook.

The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star told Sky News earlier this week in London that he'll soon be taking in a family that has fled Ukraine and offered an update on the family's progress getting out of the war-torn country.

"They've made it out of Ukraine," he told the British TV network. "I'm monitoring their progress every day. Sadly, they are undergoing some medical treatment. To say anything more about that would be invasion of their privacy, and too much about when they're coming and how that's being managed would invade mine."

That being said, Cumberbatch opened up about why he's offering his home.

"I want to give them some stability after the turmoil that they've experienced," he said, "and that's within my home."

And it's not just one family he's helping. The Sherlock star also revealed he's teamed up with the non-profit Refugees at Home to help those fleeing Ukraine in search for relatives in the U.K. and proper accommodations.

"I've been trying to help other Ukrainian families -- nationals that are U.K. citizens -- to house their extended families en masse, which you know they want to do, but it's very costly," he said. "So, I've been trying to help out with that financially in a couple of instances."

Cumberbatch is among the group of Hollywood power brokers who have stepped up to help ease the unfathomable pain brought on after Russian military forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 22. In the months since, more than one million people have fled Ukraine, according to CBS News, including an alarming number of unaccompanied children.

While speaking with reporters at the British Academy Film Awards last month, Cumberbatch implored Hollywood to get involved, and they've done exactly that.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, for example, got a call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to thank the couple after they raised more than $36 million via their GoFundMe campaign. That money is strictly earmarked to help those affected by the conflict.

Hollywood chef José Andrés also stepped in during the early part of the invasion, mobilizing his World Central Kitchen on the Ukraine-Poland border to feed refugees.