Hip Hop

Idris Elba Claps Back At Cardi B’s Outlandish Claims On COVID-19 Conspiracy

Idris Elba is shutting down Cardi B’s conspiracy theory about celebrities getting paid to say they have COVID-19.

“That’s stupid” are the words Idris Elba used to describe Cardi’s theory. The British actor was recently diagnosed with the coronavirus. Shortly after the news was made public, his wife fell victim to the disease as well after admittedly staying with him in quarantine and not changing the way she interacted with them. This has left many people debating about whether or not this was the best decision for the star’s wife. Some of us had greater concerns, though—namely, Cardi B, who went on Instagram Live to share her conspiracy theory about COVID-19.

“I’m starting to feel like y’all ni**as is paying ni**as to say that they got it,” the Grammy-winning rapper said live on Instagram days ago. “And if y’all are paying ni**as to say that they got it, pay me too.”

Idris Elba said in a statement that he doesn’t get the point of lying, and the idea of him faking it is preposterous. “I think that the negativity around test shaming is like counterproductive. I don’t see what people get out of that,” the actor said. There have been several racial attacks, xenophobic assaults, and a general lack of regard for people of East Asia since news of the coronavirus in China first emerged.

Elba went on to say, “And also this idea that someone like myself is going to be paid to say I’ve got coronavirus. That’s like absolute bullsh*t, such stupidness,” he continued. “And people wanna spread that as if it’s like news. That’s stupid.”

The actor insists that he and his wife gets no benefit from making it publicly known that they have coronavirus. Cardi B’s theory about celebrities getting paid to push the COVID-19 agenda is just one of many conspiracy theories surrounding the lethal fast-spreading virus. The media coverage of the pandemic has been plagued with a lot of misinformation, which Idris Elba pointed out to Oprah during an Apple TV podcast about the coronavirus.

Do you think Cardi B is adding to the COVID-19 conversation for the public even if it means contributing misinformation and conspiracy, or was the rapper just giving her honest opinion?