On March 11, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. The announcement came in just as the number of cases in each country spiked, with the number of deaths hitting an all-time high.
Celebrities have been taking to social media to advocate the importance of staying at home and keeping to the highest level of hygiene during this period.
For example, Singaporean actress Zoe Tay shared some pearls of wisdom on her Instagram and urged everyone to maintain good personal hygiene and be diligent in washing hands with soap. We couldn’t agree more.
However, other celebs have taken their socials to share personal news about the virus that we wished weren’t true: they had been tested positive. Here are the famous celebrities and high-profile names who were confirmed to have been infected by the coronavirus.
On October 4 (Singapore time), Creative Director of Kenzo, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, announced on the brand’s Instagram page that its founder, Kenzo Takada, has passed away.
Kenzo’s spokesperson told French media that the 81-year-old died of complications linked to Covid-19 at the American Hospital of Paris.
The late Kenzo had retired from the label decades ago after selling it to LVMH, and delved into other aspects of design. He said in an interview, “And when I decided to work again, I told myself it would be in decoration, more than fashion.”
In January this year, he announced the launch of a new lifestyle brand, K3, which made its debut at the Maison et Objet trade show, as well as in a Parisian showroom.
Former English football star David Beckham and his wife, fashion designer Victoria Beckham, have joined the list of celebrities who have been infected by the coronavirus.
According to The Sun, the celebrity couple likely caught the bug during their stay in Los Angeles in March.
Quoting unnamed sources, the British tabloid said Beckham, 45, and Victoria, 46, flew to the United States on March 1 to cheer for his football club Inter Miami, which were playing their first away game at Los Angeles Football Club.
They were joined by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and other members of the Beckham family, including their son Brooklyn’s fiancee, actress Nicola Peltz.
The unnamed friend was quoted by The Sun as saying: “They attended a couple of swanky networking events as David had promotional duties, and were shaking hands and kissing fans and various club dignitaries.”
The family then returned to London a few days later to attend Brooklyn’s 21st birthday party, which was attended by celebrities such as Spice Girl Emma Bunton and rapper Stormzy. The Beckhams returned to Miami shortly after the celebration.
The friend said Beckham, the former player of Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy, began to feel ill after their return to the US, with Victoria Beckham having a sore throat and high temperature.
They were later diagnosed with Covid-19.
The source added that the family’s drivers, bodyguards and assistants also fell ill at about the same time.
The friend said Victoria Beckham, also a member of Spice Girls, quarantined the family for more than two weeks as she was worried that they could be super-spreaders.
The couple went for swab tests to confirm they were not infectious before travelling to Italy and Greece for holidays in July and August.
The couple’s spokesmen declined to comment on The Sun’s story.
American actor Michael Rooker, 65, confirmed on social media that he has recovered from Covid-19.
Rooker, who is famous for playing Yondu in the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies (2014, 2017) and Merle Dixon in the television series The Walking Dead (2010 to present), posted a photo of his negative result last Friday (Sept 4). He told fans he has won the “epic battle” against Covid-19.
Robert Pattinson, of Twilight fame, has tested positive for Covid-19. With this, filming for The Batman (in which he is acting as Bruce Wayne) has been paused. Filming started last year, but was paused due to the Covid-19 lockdown. It resumed recently, but days after filming in London, the actor caught the virus.
Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, revealed that his entire family had tested positive for Covid-19, but they have since recovered. He posted an IGTV video to talk about his experience, describing it as “one of the most challenging and difficult things we’ve had to endure as a family.” He also cautioned against having people come over to one’s house or to get them tested if they are. He reminded everyone to wear their masks and protect their family.
Korean actor Kim Won Hae was confirmed to have Covid-19 in August. A cast member of a play he was acting in had tested positive for Covid-19 and while Kim wasn’t identified as one of the candidates to be tested, he decided to go for the test anyway and was confirmed to have Covid-19. At least 14 other cast members were also confirmed to test positive for the coronavirus.
Among the people in the play that Kim Won Hae was in is Heo Dong Won, most recently recognisable from his role in The King: Eternal Monarch. He was on the list of people to be tested for the virus as he was identified to have come into close contact with the actor who initially tested positive, Seo Sung-jong.
Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus, according to wire agency AFP.
The news comes a day after her actor father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan said he was in hospital with the infectious disease.
The actress’ eight-year-old daughter, Aaradhya, was also Covid-19 positive, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
Bachchan’s actor son Abhishek, Rai’s husband, said he too was positive but that both their cases were mild.
Amitabh Bachchan, one of India’s best known movie stars, and his actor son Abhishek Bachchan, have tested positive for Covid-19, reported Reuters.
The announcement came on Saturday (July 11). Both were admitted to the same private hospital.
“I have tested Covid positive… shifted to hospital… hospital informing authorities … family and staff undergone tests, results awaited,” Amitabh Bachchan, 77, said in a tweet.
Minutes later, his 44-year-old son Abhishek Bachchan also tweeted he had been infected.
“Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested,” he said.
Abhishek is Aishwarya Rai’s husband.
Was Madonna infected with the coronavirus?
The Queen of Pop disclosed on Instagram on Thursday (April 30) that she has tested positive for the coronavirus antibodies, reported The Straits Times.
In her latest “Quarantine Diary” video, she said, “Took a test the other day. And I found out that I have the antibodies.”
There have been questions about whether people with antibodies have immunity against further infections, but the 61-year-old Like A Prayer singer seemed to believe so.
“So tomorrow, I’m just going to go for a long drive in a car, and I’m going to roll down the window, and I’m going to breathe in, I’m going to breathe in the Covid-19 air,” she said.
She tagged her post with #staysafe and #staysane.
Madonna ruffled feathers in March when she posted on social media a video of herself in a bathtub filled with rose petals and called the coronavirus “the great equaliser”.
“That’s the thing about Covid-19. It doesn’t care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, how smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell,” she said in the now-deleted video. “What’s terrible about it is that it’s made us all equal in many ways, and what’s wonderful about it is that it’s made us all equal in many ways.”
Madonna had then called off two concerts in Paris, the last dates in her Madame X world tour, after France banned large gatherings to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Her tour kicked off in New York last September and had taken her to Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Lisbon and London.
American actor Daniel Dae Kim, best known for the television series Hawaii Five-0 (2010 to present), said he had tested positive for the coronavirus, reported Reuters.
He shared this in an Instagram posting and video on Thursday (Mar 19) from his home in Hawaii. “Yesterday I was diagnosed with Covid-19… Looks like I’ll be ok, but I wanted share my journey with you in the hopes that you find it informative or helpful. Hope you all stay safe, calm, and above all,” he wrote.
Kim, 51, said he had recently been in New York shooting a television series and returned to Hawaii when production was shut down.
He said he began to feel ill, quarantined himself and was advised to get tested in Honolulu. He said he was already feeling better.
“Thankfully for me it wasn’t life or death,” he said, urging people to follow guidelines to self-isolate and wash their hands (read also “Are Hand Sanitisers And Wet Wipes Effective In Protecting You From The Coronavirus?“).
He played police lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly in Hawaii Five-O and is also known for his role as a fisherman-turned-hitman on the television series Lost (2004 to 2010).
Kim is one of a handful of celebrities who have announced they have the disease, including actors Tom Hanks and Idris Elba, Game Of Thrones (2011 to 2019) actor Kristofer Hivju, basketball star Kevin Durant and former James Bond actress Olga Kurylenko.
Olga Kurylenko was one of the latest celebs who have taken to Instagram to share that she too, had been diagnosed with the virus. On March 15, in the caption that she posted along with the view of the window from her home, she shared that she had actually been ill for a week with fever and fatigue being her main symptoms.
The Quantum of Solace actress also reminded her fans to take care of themselves and to take this pandemic seriously.
Six days ago, the 63-year-old actor took to his Instagram and shared that he, along with his wife Rita Wilson, had been tested positive for coronavirus after feeling a bout of chills, body aches and slight fevers.
The American actor was in Australia at that time. A day later, he shared that he and his wife are taking “one day at a time” and are resting in isolation.
On March 17, the couple’s son, Chet Hanks, posted a video on his Instagram and shared that his parents are out of the hospital but are still self-quarantined until they feel completely well again. Chet also took the time to remind his followers to keep calm, not to panic-buy and only purchase what is necessary.
The “Luther” star shared on Twitter on Tuesday (Mar 17) that, despite having no symptoms, he had been tested positive for coronavirus. After reassuring his fans that he’s feeling okay and is staying isolated at the time being, he also gave everyone a timely reminder to diligently wash their hands and practise social distancing.
“We live in a divided world right now and we can all feel it, but now is the time for solidarity and thinking about each other,” said Idris Elba on Twitter.
His wife, Sabrina Dhowre, has not been tested but was doing fine. Idris Elba is known for his performance as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and he also voiced Shere Khan in the 2016 remake of The Jungle Book.
Known for her role in horror films Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U, Rachel Matthews took to her socials on Tuesday (Mar 17) to share that she had been tested positive for coronavirus.
She wrote that she’ll keep her fans posted but for now, she’ll be remaining in quarantine “until told to do otherwise”. She ended off the post by urging her followers to reach out and ask her any questions as she’d like to help in any way possible.
The 26-year-old actress also voiced Honeymaren in the 2019 animated feature Frozen 2.
The Game of Thrones star revealed on Tuesday (Mar 17) that he has been tested positive for coronavirus.
While sending his “greetings from Norway”, he also reassured fans that he is in good health and that he’ll be isolating at home. The Fate of the Furious actor also took the opportunity to remind the public to be extremely careful and to generally “just do everything you can to stop the virus from spreading”.
After having symptoms such as “a low fever”, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau underwent some tests and was unfortunately found to be positive for coronavirus. The Prime Minister’s office in Canadian also gave an update that she is currently feeling well and that her symptoms remain mild. She is also kept under observation and in isolation during this period.
Just today (Mar 18), two Canadian provinces have declared states of emergency as the outbreak throughout the nation continues to get worse. Canada now has 586 cases, which was a spike in numbers as compared to the 407 announced on Monday (Mar 16).
As the outbreak spread outside China and to other parts of the world, Spain was one of the European countries that was hit the hardest. As of March 18, there are more than 11,000 cases in Spain and 491 deaths have been reported. Due to these rising numbers, the Spanish Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, announced on Monday (Mar 16) that the country will go under lockdown for 2 weeks.
On Sunday (Mar 15), the Spanish government announced that Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, had been tested positive for coronavirus. It was also added that the couple are remaining in isolation in their home in the Madrid and are feeling fine.