Celebrities donate millions to coronavirus relief efforts in the US

As the United States has become the country with the most cases of COVID-19, with 82,000 people testing positive for the novel coronavirus, celebrities are stepping in to help the country deal with the pandemic.

Numerous celebrities from the entertainment industry, including Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Swift, and Angelina Jolie, have contributed millions to medics and food banks to help them win the fight against the pandemic, which has claimed over 1,000 lives in the US, reports Buzz Feed.

Angelina Jolie has donated $1m (£843,000) to fight child hunger during the pandemic which has caused the closure of all schools, where millions of children across the nation are provided with food. The Hollywood actress who is known for her humanitarian efforts has donated the money to "No Kid Hungry," which will provide meals for children from low-income families across the US while schools are closed. "The Good Place" actress Kristen Bell has also donated $150,007.96 (£125,000) to the charity.

Meanwhile, some celebrities are coming forward to help those facing financial struggles due to the city-wide shutdown of all non-essential businesses in New York, which is the epicenter of the virus in the US. Taylor Swift took to Instagram to share that she is donating to organisations like World Health Organization and Feeding America, and urged her followers: "If you have the ability to, please join me in donating during this crisis." The pop-star has also been randomly sending $3,000 (2443.82£) to those facing financial uncertainty, as seen in the numerous screenshots shared by the recipients.

Fellow pop-star Ariana Grande has also been helping her fans deal with the economic slowdown, by gifting them $500 (£407.30) and $1,000 (£814.61) via Venmo. According to a Page Six report, the 26-year-old even reached out to a fan to help cover their salary for a month.

Clara Lionel Foundation, founded by singer and businesswoman Rihanna in 2012 to fund groundbreaking education and emergency preparedness and response programs around the world, has donated $5m (£4.2m) for food banks in America, protective equipment for frontline health workers, research to develop a vaccine and work to accelerate testing and care in countries such as Haiti and Malawi.

Another Grammy-winner, Lady Gaga, has pledged to donate 20 percent of the profits her beauty brand 'HAUS' made from last week's sales to local food banks.

"Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, who earlier joked that celebrities are the ones "that are going to get us through this," joined his wife and actress Blake Lively to donate $1 million (£843,000) to relief efforts. The amount will be split between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada.

When the actor was asked by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to use his fame to urge people to practise social distancing, he had quipped: "I think in times of crisis, I think we all know that it's the celebrities we count on most. They're the ones that are going to get us through this. Right after healthcare workers, of course. First responders. People who work in essential services. Ping pong players. Mannequins, they're great. Childhood imaginary friends, sure. Like 400 other types of people."

Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has served as the governor of California in the past, has pledged $1m (£843,000) towards coronavirus relief effort. The 72-year-old also shared a link to a GoFundMe campaign titled Frontline Responders Fund, which aims to raise $5m (£4.2m) to buy medical supplies for hospitals.

Makeup mogul Kylie Jenner donated $1 million to help purchase protective gear for health care workers and first responders, while Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk have reportedly donated $100,000 (£81460.50) to help health workers.

Fashion designer Donatella Versace and her daughter Allegra have also donated €200,000 (£180450) to the intensive care department at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan. Actor-singer Justin Timberlake earlier announced that he is donating to Mid-South Food Bank, an organisation within the Feeding America network, and urged others to help their hometown charities.

Meanwhile, Sir Elton John organised a "living room" gig featuring stars including Billie Eilish and Mariah Carey to raise funds, while Justin Bieber pledged last month to donate 200,000 RMB (£23,500) to the Beijing Chunmiao Charity Foundation, a children's charity in China where the virus originated.