In light of the global coronavirus pandemic, celebrities are stepping up to the plate to help. Choosing to use their influence for good, many are devoting their time, money, and attention to address the outbreak's devastating effects.
Cardi B, Lil Nas X, and Megan Thee Stallion are helping fans struggling financially, while several NBA players are covering salaries for those affected. Now many more are joining in the good work. Some have donated meals through non-profit organizations, such as Kanye West and Stephen Curry, while others like Rihanna are using their own initiatives to assist coronavirus relief efforts. Football stars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Robert Lewandowski, have each donated €1 million to help fight the virus in their respective countries.
With so many downsides surrounding the outbreak of Covid-19, here's some silver living. Scroll down to see what celebrities are doing to help out during this crisis.
JAY-Z
JAY-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation has donated $1 million to COVID-19 response efforts, ultimately supporting undocumented workers, the children of frontline health workers and first responders, and incarcerated, elderly and homeless populations in New York City and Los Angeles.
Rihanna
Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation has donated $5 million to various organizations assisting with coronavirus relief efforts, with $700,000 worth of ventilators going to her home country of Barbados. CLF has also matched JAY-Z and the Shawn Carter Foundation's $1 million donation to support New York City and Los Angeles' undocumented workers, children of frontline health workers and first responders, and incarcerated, elderly and homeless populations affected by COVID-19.
Kanye West
Kanye chipped in to help both Los Angeles and his hometown Chicago cope with the outbreak, by donating money to two non-profit organizations that help feed people in need. His contribution to We Women Empowered, in his old neighborhood on the Southside of Chicago, will expand its services of providing meals to the elderly, while his donation to LA's Dream Center will provide meals to people affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Kim Kardashian
The reality star will donate 20 percent of profits from her SKIMS shapewear Cotton Collection to Baby2Baby, which is providing relief and necessities for children living in poverty.
Kylie Jenner
The beauty mogul donated a hefty $1 million to bring much-needed aid to healthcare workers at the frontlines. Kylie stepped up in a major way after Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, the OBGYN at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles who delivered Jenner's baby Stormi, put out a call on Instagram asking for donations to a GoFundMe campaign to purchase medical equipment.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande has been secretly helping her fans out financially amid the coronavirus pandemic. Turns out the singer has sent between $500 and $1,000 via Venmo to more than 20 fans as they struggle with government-forced shutdowns across the U.S. Grande also shared an announcement with her over 72 million Twitter fans insisting they stay indoors and respect quarantine measures.
Angelina Jolie
Jolie has donated $1 million to No Kid Hungry, which focuses on ending child hunger in the U.S. Her money will be used to provide meals for children in low-income families across the country during the pandemic.
Justin Bieber
Bieber was one of the earliest celebrities to respond. In an Instagram video posted in February, the pop star announced that he had donated funds to support the people affected in China. Check out his message below.
Kerby Jean-Raymond
The Pyer Moss designer announced on Instagram that he is turning the New York City office of his luxury label into a donation center for much-needed medical masks and latex gloves. Additionally, he's donating $50,000 to "minority and women-owned small creative businesses who are currently in distress."
Stephen Curry
The NBA star is donating funds to help underprivileged children in Oakland get daily meals while their schools are shut. Curry also shared a PSA to his fans urging them to donate to the cause.
Donatella Versace
The fashion mogul announced that she had made a donation of €200,000 (approximately $216,000) to the intensive care department of San Raffaele hospital in Milan. In a touching note shared to her Instagram account, she wrote, "This is when, we as a society, need to stand together and care for one another.”
Emilia Clarke
Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is attempting to raise £250,000 for her charity SameYou, which aids those recovering from brain injuries and strokes. In light of the coronavirus, SameYou is shifting its focus to freeing up hospital beds that are in need during the pandemic. All donations will go towards funding the virtual rehab clinic support in the comings weeks. Additionally, 12 donors will be chosen at random and treated to a virtual dinner with Clarke.
Bill & Melinda Gates
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed at least $105 million to aid the global response to the novel coronavirus. The money will be used to improve detection, isolation and treatment efforts, protect at-risk populations, and accelerate the development of vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics.
Roger Federer
The tennis player has announced that he and his wife Mirka have donated one million Swiss Francs to support those families affected by coronavirus living in Switzerland. "These are challenging times for everyone and nobody should be left behind," Federer wrote on Instagram.
Lionel Messi
The Barcelona FC Capitan has donated €1 million to support hospitals in Spain as well as his home country, Argentina. Specifically, the money will go towards Barcelona's Hospital Clinic as well as another medical center in Rosario, Argentina.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo, along with his agent Jorge Mendes, have matched Messi's donation. The footballer has given out €1 million to help build two new intensive care units at Hospital de Santa Maria in Lisbon, and one at a Porto hospital. Each unit will be able to serve 20 patients, and will be named after Ronaldo and Mendes, CNN reports.
Pep Guardiola
Guardiola, the former manager of Barcelona FC, has also made a donation of €1 million to help fight the coronavirus. The donation will support the Medical College of Barcelona as well as the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation.
Robert Lewandowski
Along with his wife Anna, Robert Lewandowski is another football star to have recently donated €1 million to support the fight against Covid-19. "We are all aware of the difficult situation," Lewandoski told German publication Bild. "Today we all play in a team. Let us be strong in this fight. If we can help someone, let's do it.
