Idris Elba Hints At How He Possibly Got Coronavirus
On March 16, 2020, Idris Elba revealed his coronavirus diagnosis. Elba is just one of many famous folks who have tested positive for the virus during the international pandemic. Now, in an update that he shared on Twitter just days after receiving his test results, the star has revealed when he was likely exposed to the virus and may have inadvertently hinted at who might have given it to him (or at least gotten it at the same time).
"I know that I've been exposed to it from March 4," Elba said in his video. "That's when the person that came up positive, that was the time I got in contact with that person." On that date, the English actor had attended an event for the WE Day charity at SSE Arena in Wembley, London, according to People magazine.
In Elba's video, he confirmed that he "was told that someone that [he] had been in contact with had tested positive," adding that he was tested when someone who is "also in the public eye" had been diagnosed with the virus. Although the star didn't indicate that he had been infected by that person and refrained from naming who he was referring to, he was photographed at the WE Day event with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. And, yes, Sophie is indeed sick.
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau shared a photo of herself with Idris Elba
Idris Elba and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau showed up to the same event on March 4, 2020, and the next day, she shared a photo of the pair on Instagram with a group of other people. "My heart is full after spending time working with my own family and the WE family," she wrote. "Our message in London: Show yourself love and offer that same love to the world."
Unfortunately, Grégoire Trudeau or someone else at the event may have already been infected with the novel coronavirus because, on March 12, 2020 news broke that she had tested positive for the illness. Just to be clear: It's not known whether Grégoire Trudeau passed the illness to Elba or if they picked it up at the same time from someone else who was in attendance. Either way, it was a sad outcome for an event that was meant to be uplifting.
"She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild," an official statement regarding Grégoire Trudeau's condition said, according to Global News. The message also noted that health care workers would be "reach[ing] out to those who have been in contact with Mrs. Grégoire Trudeau as they deem necessary." We wonder if one of those people was Idris Elba.
Other stars could have been infected at the event
Idris Elba and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau were far from the only people to attend the WE Day event in London on March 4, which means that many others may have been exposed to the coronavirus at the same time. "World-renowned speakers, A-list performers, and thousands of young people" were also in attendance, according to the organization's website. Former Game of Thrones actress Gwendoline Christie showed up, as did fellow GoT star Alfie Allen. Other notable names who were expected included celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, race car driver Lewis Hamilton, singer Leona Lewis, and a handful of other celebrities from various levels of fame and a range of backgrounds.
It also turns out that Grégoire Trudeau wasn't the only member of her family at the event. Another famous face that popped up in the "star-studded lineup" was her mother-in-law and well-known figure in politic spheres, Margaret Trudeau (the mother of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the ex-wife of the late Canadian leader Pierre Trudeau). However, she's not the only member of the Trudeau family who's at risk for contracting the coronavirus — and the same can be said for those close to Elba.
Idris Elba and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's families are also at risk
Following the WE Day event in London and finding out that Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tested positive for coronavirus, Margaret Trudeau took immediate action. "I was with Sophie, Justin's wife, over in London, in the U.K., doing a big speaking event, and we were together," Margaret told CTV. "I had lots of contact with Sophie, as we all did. There's 17 of us in self-isolation in our family now." This means that Sophie's husband, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, "is currently trying to run his country in self-isolation," according to CNN. The couple also has three children: a daughter, Ella-Grace, and two sons, Xavier and Hadrien. So far, there have been no reports of the other Trudeaus testing positive for the illness.
As for Idris Elba, he was on location filming when he was diagnosed with coronavirus. Despite the danger of getting it herself, his wife, Sabrina Dhowre Elba, flew to him and "chose to be by [his] side" though this, which is why the two are now in isolation together. "Sabrina's fine," the star said in another video that he shared on Twitter after noting that she had also been tested. Although he did add that she's "nervous, of course," and "worried." Hopefully, the situation will improve soon and there will be no more need for concern.