Idris Elba, after announcing he tested positive for coronavirus with his wife, Sabrina by his side, faced backlash which prompted him to respond to the criticism.
Sabrina was seated next to Idris as he made the announcement on Monday, March 16, leading to negative reactions as many believed she should have been quarantined due to not being tested at the time.
Addressing the controversy in a live Twitter session, Idris shared his feelings after the diagnosis, explaining the reasoning behind Sabrina’s proximity to him.
He conveyed, “Yesterday was good and bad. Bad because I tested positive, but it was also good because it opened up a lot of conversation around it. I think it made it a lot more real for some people. Definitely made it more real for me and my family.
“There was so many positive responses to, you know, me talking about it. Some negative too. But there were some definite positive ones. I certainly felt…my wife and I felt like it was the right thing to do, to share it with you guys.
“Right now though, I am feeling okay. Woke up this morning, didn’t have any symptoms. My voice is a little tired…checking my fever twice a day. Feel good, feel okay. Been doing a lot of reading about it. You know, asymptomatic is what comes up.”
Regarding Sabrina’s presence, he stated, “Sabrina‘s good too. Sabrina today finally managed to get a test, and we’re thankful for that. Generally, Sabrina‘s fine. Nervous of course. Worried. Just for clarification, Sabrina wanted to be by my side.”
He continued, “We calculated that risk and decided to be together. Hope you guys can understand that.”
He further explained their decision by pointing out the possibility of her also having the virus after his diagnosis and expressed his gratitude for her support.
Watch the video below.
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 17, 2020
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) March 17, 2020