Cuba Gooding Jr. serenades nurses working on frontlines of COVID-19 virus in Anaheim, California: ‘We love you and stay strong’
Cuba Gooding Jr. sang in a video stream for nurses working amid the coronavirus in Anaheim, California, a location that holds a place in the actor’s heart.
The 52-year-old actor, in a stream from his home published on TMZ, shared a message of optimism and resilience as he talked to a group of nearly 200 medical professionals based out of the city that’s home to Disneyland, and the Angels and Ducks sports teams.
‘We’re going to get through this thing – we’re going to be stronger than we ever were,’ said the Oscar-winning actor.
Pitching in: Cuba Gooding Jr., 52, sang in a video stream for nurses working amid the coronavirus in Anaheim, California, a location that holds a place in the actor’s heart. He was snapped in NYC last year
The star of movies including Boyz n the Hood, Jerry Maguire and A Few Good Men opened up about his ties to the area prior to his breakout in Hollywood.
‘And on a personal note, I used to live in Anaheim – I was homeless, I was living in a women’s abuse shelter just outside of [nearby city] Tustin. I went to Tustin High School, and I was exposed to the tight-knit community that Tustin and Anaheim make up.’
The New York City native said he reflects on the moments of his and his family’s ‘survival there, and how the community rallied behind us to make sure we made it through the night with food [and] with shelter.’
He continued: ‘I want to say to you 180 women who are in the Anaheim hospitals front lines fighting this virus just know that you’re in a wonderful city, community that supports you, that loves you … and that this community is of strong, and of faith, and of God.’
Tough times: Anaheim has been hit hard economically by the shutdown, as Disneyland remains closed
Upbeat: Cuba serenaded the group with an uplifting church song, before wishing the nurses the best in their valiant fight against the novel virus. He was snapped in NYC last year
He then serenaded the group with an uplifting church song, before wishing the nurses the best in their valiant fight against the novel virus.
‘Be strong – we love you, we’re here for you … we love you and stay strong,’ he said.
As of Thursday, the death total for COVID-19 was at 80,084 people in the U.S., with 1,407,507 total positive diagnoses, The COVID Tracking Project reported.
On a global level, 302,468 people have died amid 4,443,986 positive diagnoses worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.