When Obama recently announced he had covid, we felt his pain. Although many people are letting their guards down against Covid-19, the threat of the disease still looms. Even today, the Omicron variant has mutations, causing a new wave of diagnoses. Many celebrities have taken to social media to plead with their fans to stay vigilant. Here is a look at some of our favorite celebrities and their shocking battles with Covid-19
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August 2022- Drake
The popular Toronto rapper shared on Instagram that his Young Money Reunion show with Lil Wayne And Nicki Minaj is canceled due to him contracting COVID-19. The show was meant to close out October World Weekend.
March 2020- Idris Elba and wife, Sabrina Dhowre
Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina Dhowre made the shocking announcement that they tested positive for Covid-19 in March 2020. Although Elba did not have symptoms, he took the time to isolate himself after learning that he came in contact with someone who did test positive. The Elba’s were one of the first couples to publicly announce their Covid status to the world. And we didn’t know what to think about it all. Remember?
March 2020- Tom Hanks and wife, Rita Wilson
The Hanks’ announced they tested positive for Covid-19 in March 2020 while in Australia for the pre-production for the film, Elvis. He was one of the first A-listers to make his diagnosis so public, which likely started other celebrities to do the same. Tom posted on Instagram that he and his wife were experiencing fatigue, body aches, and symptoms that felt like a cold. We were shook!
March 2020- Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart never said the exact dates he tested positive for Covid-19. However, he did say in a stand-up show with Dave Chappelle that he left mum about having had Covid because: “The problem is that I had it around the same time as Tom Hanks, and I couldn’t say anything because he’s more famous than I am.”
Babyface- April 2020
The iconic Verzuz battle between Babyface and Teddy Riley was originally postponed because Babyface tested positive for Covid-19. He revealed in an Instagram post that he and his family recovered from Covid together.
June 2020- D.L. Hughley
In June 2020, D.L. Hughley collapsed while on stage at a comedy club show. He was then tested for Covid-19 and the test came back positive. He was asymptomatic before the collapse or so he thought, which made testing positive a surprise for him.
August 2020- Tiffany Haddish
While doing an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Tiffany Haddish revealed she had Covid. She was tested after someone working on a movie set tested positive which shut down production. Haddish said her results came back positive but she had no symptoms.
September 2020- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
The Rock’s entire family tested positive for Covid-19. He posted about it on Instagram in an 11-minute video explaining the impact the illness had on his family and asking his followers to stay safe and healthy. He provided a list of tips to prevent and get through Covid.
January 2021- Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle received some criticism after his first show back on stage after he recovered from Covid-19. Chappelle called himself a hero for continuing to hold comedy shows throughout the pandemic. The shows were socially distanced and required negative Covid tests to enter. But he then went on to say that people who stayed home were cowards “invested in being afraid” and were using fear to keep people at home. He was also seen at times not wearing a mask while greeting people off-stage.
August 2021- Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff was set to represent the U.S. at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when she tested positive for Covid. The 18-year-old tennis star lost her sense of smell and was supposed to get her first vaccination the same week. She was forced to withdraw from the Olympics.
September 2021- Wendy Williams
The beginning of The Wendy Williams Show season 13 was pushed back because Wendy Williams herself was diagnosed with Covid, which caused her additional complications with her already present thyroid condition. The 13th season eventually premiered in October without her.
September 2021- Chris Rock
Chris Rock tweeted he got Covid in September 2021 writing, “Trust me, you don’t want this. Get vaccinated.” Upon his recovery, he appeared on stage at a Robert Glasper show saying, “ It wasn’t quite as hard as being Black, but it was close…That’s why everyone’s trying to avoid it, man.”
November 2021- Smokey Robinson
In an interview, Smokey Robinson revealed he was in the hospital for 11 days battling Covid-19; he said he did not remember about five of the days he was in the hospital. Here’s the kicker, he nearly completely lost his voice after being diagnosed with the disease.
January 2022- Andre Leon Talley
Andre Leon Talley, the fashion icon, had Covid-19 just days before passing away in January of 2022. His friend mentioned that Talley had other chronic illnesses while battling Covid.
January 2022- Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg was tripled vaccinated but still tested positive for Covid in early January. She started to have mild symptoms after Christmas and missed the first shows back on The View for the holiday break.
January 2022- Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o tweeted that tested positive for Covid in January 2022 when she had to drop out of the promotion of the film, The 355. She took to Instagram to show her progress weeks later, training for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
March 2022- Barack Obama
Former President Barack Obama announced on Twitter that he tested positive for Covid in March 2022. He tweeted that he was feeling fine and his only symptom was a scratchy throat. Michelle Obama tested negative.
July 2022- Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington, unfortunately, missed the Medal of Freedom Ceremony at the White House this July after testing positive for Covid. He was positioned to be honored at the ceremony this year, but President Biden reassured the audience that Washington will be honored at a later time.
July 2022 - Joe Biden
Yet another president has tested positive for COVID-19. Despite being fully vaccinated with two extra booster shots, President Joe Biden tested positive for coronavirus and is experiencing “mild symptoms.” He won’t be able to return to in-person work until he tests negative.
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