Riz Ahmed reveals he has lost two relatives to the coronavirus
The 'Venom' star said he hoped the deaths of his loved ones 'aren't for nothing'
April 28, 2020
LONDON: British actor and rapper Riz Ahmed has revealed that two of his family members have died after contracting COVID-19.
Ahmed shared the tragic news in an interview with GQ magazine, saying the global COVID-19 pandemic is "reflecting and revealing the faultlines in our society".
The 'Venom' star said he hoped the deaths of his loved ones "aren't for nothing".
In his interview, the actor made an impassioned plea to remember the people from minority backgrounds who are keeping the country running.
Ahmed said he hopes the virus can bring humanity together to tackle greater problems rather than focusing on what divides people – but worries it is just holding up a mirror to existing political and social problems.
“Coronavirus is on some level an alien invasion, isn’t it? It’s bringing humanity together against the common enemy,” he continued. “So there is this potential for this momentous, unique-in-the-history-of-our-species moment, of us all going through this crazy challenge together and only being able to get through this together," he added.
The star also expressed concern for how Muslims are being treated by India’s nationalist government, and about how the disease is hitting communities of color in the UK and US particularly hard.
