Ice-T Reveals Some Heartbreaking COVID-19 News
COVID-19 has affected millions of people in different ways, and that goes for both non-famous and famous people alike. Some celebs have noticed the toll it has taken on their mental health, while other stars have been exposed to the virus and become incredibly ill. In a few heartbreaking instances, celebrities have died or lost loved ones to the coronavirus.
"The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 67,949,100 people, according to official counts," The New York Times reported. As of Dec. 8, 2020, "at least 1,550,500 people have died, and the virus has been detected in nearly every country..." According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), those who contract COVID-19 suffer from ailments that "rang[e] from mild symptoms to severe illness." That includes having a fever or chills, muscle or body aches, a headache, fatigue, congestion, sore throat, nausea, a loss of smell and taste, and more. Beyond that, others suffer from a cough and difficulty breathing. Not only are these symptoms unpleasant to endure, but they can also be very dangerous.
Given the wide range of risks, people around the world have been encouraged to practice social distancing, to adhere to proper quarantine guidelines when necessary, and to wear face masks when they are out in public. And although some famous figures are trying to help fight the coronavirus, others haven't taken the illness seriously. Sadly, that has had dire effects for some, including one member of Ice-T's family.
Ice-T's father-in-law was a 'no masker'
Ice-T is famous for a few reasons. He's both a rapper and an actor, not to mention the fact that he's delved into the world of reality TV. In 2015, he scored the show Ice & Coco, which focuses on himself and his wife, Coco Austin. Fans of the show will know that while the pair live an enviably extravagant life but, it's important to note that they're not immune to everyday hardships, which includes the dangers of COVID-19.
On Nov. 29, 2020, Ice-T took to Twitter to share some troubling news about a member of his family. "My father-in-law 'Coco's dad' was a serious 'No Masker,'" the star wrote. Although the coronavirus continues to take lives and individuals over 60 are high-risk, some people are still resisting the CDC's insistence and assistance in regards to the public "wear[ing] masks in public settings and when around people who don't live in their household."
Sadly, Ice-T's father-in-law learned the hard way that the coronavirus is incredibly serious. "COVID hit him. Pneumonia in both lungs. 40 days in ICU close to death. Now he's on Oxygen indefinitely," Ice-T captioned a photo of his father-in-law wearing a hospital gown and an oxygen mask on his face. "Ohhh he's a Believer now," the star added along with the hashtag, "#COVIDisNotAGame." From what Austin also shared, that's no exaggeration.
Coco Austin provided an update on her dad
Ice-T's wife, Coco Austin — who is clearly not opposed to wearing a mask — provided an update on her dad back in August 2020, tweeting photos of her family and writing, "My dad made it back home! He is [COVID-19] free but is still dealing with damaged lungs that [COVID-19] leaves behind." On top of that, she shared that her father is now "bound to an oxygen machine till who knows when." He also "lost 30 pounds" while ill.
In December 2020, she took to Twitter again to tell her fans that her dad was "good," but was "still dealing with [the] aftermath of [COVID-19]." She explained that meant "even at home [he] had to carry around an oxygen machine months after but recently got off of it and is breathing on his own but still is not 100%" and "he still gets winded after walking." She ended her message by summing up the severity of what her father had dealt with, writing, "[COVID-19] took over his body."
Although Austin herself had felt compelled to share updates about her father with her social media following — and received mostly supportive messages in response — her husband's post about the situation sparked mixed reactions.
Fans had different reactions to Ice-T's news
When Ice-T shared the news that his father-in-law had become seriously ill with COVID-19 after initially being against wearing masks, the star's fans responded with a range of reactions. "Glad he finally gets it. Wish him well," one person tweeted, adding that they'll "never understand why so many don't care about this until they're personally affected." They explained their reasoning by noting that "not only does this selfish attitude hurt themselves, but others as well."
On the other hand, not everyone thought that sharing the post was the right thing to do. "What would cause somebody to post something like this? It totally reads like schadenfreude on your own father-in-law," someone else tweeted. The less-than-impressed Twitter user added, "Plenty of 'pro-maskers' have met the same or worse fates. We don't celebrate [people] getting sick so we can have our 'told you so' moment. That's your FAMILY. Gross."
Unsurprisingly, since that wasn't Ice-T's motivation at all, he didn't let the critical assessment of his actions go unchecked. "Clowna**, if I'm willing to use a family member that I love, as an example of someone coming close to death from a virus that I assume you think is fake ... And I'm trying to warn people... Then it must be serious to me," the star wrote in return. He then addressed the person directly, telling him, "[Y]ou've got a lotta nerve."