John Legend, Chris Martin Among Celebs Virtually Giving Back To Fight COVID-19
The world is changing quickly as the coronavirus creates a global pandemic. The Met Gala has been postponed, Saturday Night Live is canceled until further notice, and theaters are going dark in an effort to keep people apart and reduce the spread of the virus, reports Entertainment Tonight. As more and more people self-quarantine, the darker sides of isolation have emerged. Yes, binging on Netflix is fun, but what do we do when we start getting lonely? How can we prevent cabin fever?
Many celebrities have gotten very creative to help fight coronavirus, and their efforts are wonderful to witness. Others are reminding fans to thank those around them who are helpers and caregivers. As more and more celebrities try reaching out to help, the common denominator in all of their charity is that it's being done virtually. So as communities around the globe scramble to respond to COVID-19, the virtual world is responding in remarkably innovative ways.
Chris Martin live-streamed a concert at home
Chris Martin of Coldplay decided to treat fans to a live-streamed concert from his home on March 16, 2020. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Martin used social media as a way to connect, announcing the idea on Twitter: "Hello everyone. I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. If anyone feels like chatting and listening to some music, I'm going to do a livestream on the Coldplay Instagram." He added the hashtag #TogetherAtHome.
It will come as no surprise that people absolutely loved the impromptu show, and it wasn't long before John Legend decided to do the same. He hopped on Twitter to say: "My friend Chris Martin did a lovely little concert from home today. I'll be doing one [March 17] at 1pm Pacific time. See you soon. We'll try to get through this together! #TogetherAtHome." Legend also added that he would be taking requests and added, "let me know which other artists I should pass the torch to."
Singer Chilombo responded to Legend on Twitter by saying, "i would love to join the festivities," to which Legend responded, "Perfect!!"
Meanwhile, Legend's wife, model and talk show host Chrissy Teigen, responded in your usual tongue-in-cheek fashion: "I'll be there!! because I literally have no choice."
#TogetherAtHome takes over
The idea of live streaming concerts from home caught the attention of country music star Keith Urban. His wife, actress Nicole Kidman, announced on Instagram that he was doing a "gig at home to play music for people" and advised fans to visit @KeithUrban for the best seats in his house.
Urban got on Instagram live to say: "I was supposed to be playing tonight and I just thought it would be nice to be able to play anyway. Even though we can't be in front of all you guys tonight I want to be able to play some songs and bring a little bit of entertainment into your screens." Urban then showed fans his "audience of one" — none other than Kidman herself sitting in the warehouse where he was playing.
Fans are clearly embracing the hashtag #TogetherAtHome and calling out their favorite singers and performers. The list of requests is long, including: Beyoncé, Pink, Sam Smith, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and Gwen Stefani.
Pink offers free piano lessons
Pink clearly got the hint that fans wanted to see and hear her, so she shared a video on Instagram with the caption: "Free concert slash piano lessons from my heart to yours. To make you feel my love," followed by a heart-eyed emoji and the word "rehearsals."
Meanwhile, Ashley Tisdale shared a video on Instagram of herself working out and singing along to "We're All In This Together" from High School Musical. "If you need to work out while on #selfquarantine try this," she said. "Hopefully this will brighten your day a little!" Fellow High School Musical alum Vanessa Hudgens responded to Tisdale's video with her own mashup, but instead of exercising, she opened a bottle of wine!
Many fans have been reaching out to comedians, asking for that talented demographic to get virtual, too. According to Entertainment Tonight, Patton Oswalt performed a set on his front lawn directed at everyone self-quarantined at home. "All right, folks. Thanks for staying in tonight," he says in the clip. "I hope you guys are isolating and securing in place. This COVID-19, I tell ya. I didn't see COVID 1 through 18, so I don't really know what this is all about."
You know what they say, sometimes laughter truly is the best medicine.
Jennifer Garner reads to kids
Actors Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams decided to utilize Instagram to read stories to kids. According to Entertainment Tonight, the stars "partnered with Save the Children and No Kid Hungry, to get behind Instagram account, Read the Stories, where viewers can watch them read children's books aloud in a bid to raise money for kids affected by school closures."
The adorable videos also link to a fundraising program to help kids impacted by school closures as a result of COVID-19. The suggested donation is $10 and the caption reads: "These funds will help us make sure that families know how to find meals when schools are closed, support mobile meal trucks, food banks and other community feeding programs, provide educational toys, books and worksheets, and support out-of-school-time programs to help kids make up for lost time in the classroom."
What a worthy cause!
Despite the havoc that the coronavirus is wreaking around the world, it can be very comforting to see people gather together virtually to support one other. Stay safe and stay home!