\n\tWomen\u2019s Guild Cedars-Sinai got a double dose of star power at its annual spring luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel thanks to a pair of high-profile sisters.<\/p>\n
\n\tSamuel L. Jackson<\/a> and Judge Judy<\/a> turned up at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday to honor CAA<\/a> agent Toni Howard<\/a> and her sister, author and philanthropist Wendy Howard Goldberg, with Trailblazer Awards during a gala ceremony emceed by Entertainment Tonight\u2019s <\/em>Nischelle Turner. <\/p>\n \n\tThe former is one of Hollywood\u2019s most well-known agents, and she represents Jackson, Michael Keaton, James Spader, Edie Falco, Michael Sheen, Holly Hunter, Laura Linney, Christopher Walken, Diane Lane (in attendance), Goldie Hawn, Tim Robbins, Catherine O\u2019Hara, Nathan Lane and Billie Lourd, among others. Howard Goldberg is a long-serving member of the guild, having volunteered with the organization for more than four decades. She co-authored the books The Blue Bloods Cookbook, Marry Me<\/em> and Hollywood Moms<\/em>. She is the widow of Leonard Goldberg, a network executive and film and TV producer who shepherded Blue Bloods, Double Jeopardy<\/em> and Sleeping With the Enemy<\/em> along with Charlie\u2019s Angels<\/em> and Brian\u2019s Song<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tDuring his time at the podium, Jackson, who previously was honored with a Hollywood icon award from the Women\u2019s Guild alongside wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson, noted how it was his third outing as a presenter at a Women\u2019s Guild event. \u201cI don\u2019t go to the Academy Awards as often as I come to these events,\u201d he quipped. But he made good use of a repeat appearance by complimenting Howard Goldberg as \u201ckind, generous and fearless\u201d and saving special praise for his longtime agent.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201dI can\u2019t imagine my life without her,\u201d Jackson said of Howard. \u201cShe\u2019s been my agent, friend, consigliere, someone who is to high stakes blackjack what Superman is to hero comics. She\u2019s been my hero for at least 30 years. We\u2019ve been together a long time. All that money they talked about that I\u2019ve made, Toni started that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tJackson then had the honor of introducing Judge Judy, aka Judy Sheindlin, who moderated a fireside chat with the sisters. As for Sheindlin, Jackson called her a \u201ctrailblazer\u201d for making history with her hit TV show, Judge Jud<\/em>y, and for being the only TV judge to win Emmys for more than one series. \u201cClearly she\u2019s guilty of providing us with the best possible courtroom television,\u201d Jackson said, adding that he watches her show every day while in his trailer. \u201cI personally would want to say that I met Judy in Toni\u2019s backyard smoking cigarettes when I first got to Hollywood, and she is personally responsible for me stopping smoking. She sent me to her doctor, and when she quit, she made me quit.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tLynne Brookman, Diane Lane, Sharona Nazarian, Toni Howard, Wendy Goldberg and Samuel L. Jackson at the Women\u2019s Guild Cedars-Sinai spring luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel on May 1, 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(photo: Alex J. Berliner\/ABImages)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tIn her acceptance speech, Howard said it brought her great joy to share the stage with her sister. \u201cWhen Wendy was 12 years old our phone would ring, and my sister would pick it up. Some passionate volunteer would go into their carefully scripted spiel, \u2018Millions of people are suffering. We\u2019d love you to donate money to help find answers to fight this devastating disease.\u2019 She\u2019d ask, \u2018What are the symptoms?\u2019\u201d Howard recalled. \u201cI guarantee at 12, Wendy knew more about the disease than the person on the phone. I\u2019m betting at 12, Wendy knew as much about the disease as the doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBecause of her obsession, Howard said she often calls her sister \u201cDr. Goldberg\u201d because there\u2019s rarely a day that goes by that she doesn\u2019t ask for a diagnosis. \u201cWendy always has the best advice and knows the perfect person to call, whether your problem is a skinned knee or major surgery,\u201d she added. Howard thanked Jackson and Sheindlin for supporting them at the ceremony. Of the latter, Howard said, \u201cWhen I first met you, I instantly wanted to sign you. I could\u2019ve made millions for both of us. But it\u2019s OK, and you\u2019ll never hear this from any other agent: Your friendship is more precious to me than money.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tShe then singled out the Women\u2019s Guild and the work of the medical professionals at Cedars-Sinai for taking care of her 96-year-old husband, David Yarnell, who was hospitalized twice this year. \u201cI was moved by the kindness and the enthusiasm shown by your staff. David loves talking to people and no matter what someone\u2019s job was, he\u2019d end up having a conversation with them. Everyone was so engaged. Everyone put such energy and joy into their work. We saw them literally high-fiving each other when they changed shifts,\u201d she praised. <\/p>\n \n\tIn her speech, Howard Goldberg recalled a favorite word picked up from business woman Lynda Resnick: Resilience. \u201cThe capacity to withstand and recover from difficulty, the ability to spring back into shape. Toughness,\u201d she detailed of its definition. \u201cThe community of Los Angeles, Women\u2019s Guild and today\u2019s other honorees all brilliantly embody this quality.\u201d She also called her sister a \u201ctrue icon, trailblazer and one of the smartest, wittiest, most hard working people on the planet.\u201d <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Womens-Guild-Cedars-Sinai-Luncheon-Group-Photo-1.jpg?w=800\")
<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>