The world's biggest celebrities have responded to the news that former police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of the murder of George Floyd.
Stars such as Oprah, Lizzo and Ciara shared the tears of joy and grief they shed on hearing the jury's decision, while others like Jamie Foxx, Justin Timberlake and Kerry Washington focused on the idea that justice for Floyd's death was only the first step in banishing inequality.
Chauvin faces a maximum sentence of up to 75 years in jail after being found guilty on all three murder charges laid against him after he restrained Floyd by pressing his knee into his neck as he lay handcuffed on the ground for over nine minutes.
"Guilty Guilty Guilty," Whoopi Goldberg responded to the news on Twitter.
"No one wins… George Floyd is still gone, and finally, someone was responsible... Derek Chauvin."
Meanwhile, Oprah wrote that she was "relieved" and "emotional in ways she didn't expect".
"I cried tears of joy as each verdict was read," she continued, before thanking the witnesses and the jurors for "seeing and acknowledging what the world saw on that tape".
A tear-stained Lizzo shared her thoughts in a video on Instagram, telling her followers: "I have nothing to say I just have everything to feel."
"Justice would be that nobody had to die for something like this to happen. But the Black experience is all about finding that joy through the pain. The relief… for Black people who have been let down constantly, I am going to choose to sit in that feeling right now," she added.
Viola Davis said that the guilty verdict was "as it should be," and that Floyd could now rest in peace knowing he and his family had been "vindicated".
Controversial former television host Piers Morgan wrote simply: "Justice is done".
Jamie Foxx called the decision a "bittersweet moment," in a note that spoke to Floyd directly.
"I am happy and relieved that the person that did this horrendous thing to you and your family was found guilty," he wrote.
"The bitter is that we cannot bring you back… The bitter is all of the lives that were affected by what happened to you… all the tears that have been shed... and hearts broken."
"Today with the announcement of this verdict gives us some type of hope... hope that we can start righting the wrongs that have been in place for years in this country... rest in power George…"
Mariah Carey wrote that today would "never be forgotten," saying that she believed "something good will come out of this tragedy".
"It's a start. Praise the Lord!" she said.
"The verdict is just the first step in a long line of injustice against the Black community," Justin Timberlake shared on social media. "Often with no consequences. The work is not nearly done."
Floyd's death on May 25, 2020 sparked an international outcry against systemic racism ingrained in America's law enforcement.
His face was emblazoned on flags, banners, posters and murals worldwide, and became a symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement.
