CELEBS IN SELFISOLATION
Staying busy at home
Live gigs, magic tricks, yoga sessions and love letters – just a few of the things some A-listers are doing to make the weeks of self-isolation bearable and entertain their fans. Followers of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin enjoyed a special live-streamed mini-concert from his lounge room. “I was supposed to be with the band today,” he said before launching into his hits for 300,000 viewers. “But … we’re stuck in different countries. So I thought what would be nice would be to check in with some of you out there and see how you’re doing. Had an idea that we could call this thing ‘Together at Home’. And who knows – maybe tomorrow someone else will take it over.”
John Legend and Keith Urban then did precisely that, while Madonna, holed up in Paris with her toy boy Ahlamalik Williams, penned a love letter to her fans beginning with a reference to her cancelled tour: “Madame X did not die in Paris. Her journey continues in self-quarantine in honour and respect of COVID-19. I am still in pain with no cure in sight, thanks to all the borders being closed. I shall learn from this and grow stronger. For now, I will continue to fight.” Later, she posted a photo of herself naked in a milky bath with floating rose petals, saying: “It doesn’t care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, where you live, what amazing stories you can tell. It’s the great equaliser and what’s terrible about it is what’s great about it.”
Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot joined some celebrity friends, including Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, Sia and Mark Ruffalo, for a rendition of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’, though the online reaction was, at best, ‘mixed’. Britney Spears, meanwhile, told her followers: “For inspiration for men and children and women around the world, I’m going to try to do a yoga pose and a yoga move
every day on my Instagram, to inspire others to stay healthy and sane and to be better people.” Ellen DeGeneres killed some time by filming herself attempting a card trick. When it went wrong, magician David Blaine popped up on his feed to give her a few tips. Lizzo posted a 30-minute ‘group meditation’ session, complete with flute playing, a bowl of crystals and burning incense, to promote healing to achieve calmness. “We really need to feel each other out … we’re going to take all this fear and transmute it into love.”
Hollywood plastic surgeon Dr Terry Dubrow revealed that he has been inundated with requests from celebrities for face lifts while they are out of the public eye for a few weeks, but all elective surgery has been banned.
The last two weeks have been dragging for Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, who tested positive for the virus, as did Nine’s Richard Wilkins. Last week, celebrity chef Luke Mangan delivered a hamper of gourmet goodies to Wilkins – from a safe distance!
– to the presenter’s obvious delight.
“We need to feel each other out” –LIZZO
After the US Surgeon General asked influencers to post about the need for self-isolation during COVID-19, Jenner shared: “It’s so important … to ensure we aren’t endangering ourselves or anyone who can’t handle this virus.”