The hands down winner at the 2023 Golden Globes Award Ceremony is COVID-19. In the spirit of “the pandemic is over”, more COVID-19 infections were handed out to the mask less crowd than awards at the Golden Globes on January 10, 2023. LA County where the awards were held had recommended mask mandates to help stop the spread of the virus. Despite this the privileged felt it was their right to spread disease at the ceremony.
Jamie Lee Curtis proudly announced on the red carpet that “We are out of COVID” just prior to being infected. So far, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleason, ans Jen Statsky, have have tested positive after the ceremony. Michelle Pfeiffer, tested positive before the ceremony and did not attend. Jamie Lee Curtis also pointed out that “life is short and precious” and COVID has trimmed 10 years off of every American’s life expectancy. Lisa Marie Presley attended the Golden Globes and died of a cardiac arrest days later.
Curtis took to social media to announce the results, posting a picture of three positive rapid antigen tests and sharing that she would be sitting out of some other upcoming award season events. According to the CDC, it can take up to 10 days for COVID-19 to develop once a person is exposed, and it’s possible to spread the virus before becoming symptomatic—so while Curtis tested positive Friday, it’s possible that the actress could have been contagious at the January 10, 2023 in-person award show.
With hardly anyone in attendance wearing a mask and over 11,000 reported cases in Beverly Hills (where the ceremony took place), the Golden Globes had all the makings of a “super-spreader” event, and some say it’s only a matter of time before more stars fall ill—especially as stars return to the social award circuit. Many of the infected will soon be going to Sundance for another super spreader. After many stars see the back lash from early COVID positive tests being announced, I suspect many will sweep their positive tests under the rug.
One actress, Jessica Chastain, wore a sequined mask that went beautifully with her sequined gown. Shockingly she was not infected at the Golden Globes super spreader. Of all the photos I saw from that evening, hers is the only mask I saw. The awards show was also a dinner, so stars chowed down on food and drink with open mouths as they shouted across the table at each other. It is amazing that people feel they can remove the mask to eat as if the virus will pause at that moment. A full list of the infected from the Golden Globes is slowly coming to light.
Los Angeles County reported 1,534 new infections and 25 additional virus-related deaths, bringing the county’s cumulative totals to 3,659,260 cases and 34,969 fatalities since the pandemic began. Health officials have stressed, however, that the official number of cases is an under count, due to the large number of people who rely on at-home tests without reporting the results to the county. Other people don’t test at all, despite being possibly infected. The county is also averaging 23 new COVID related deaths per day. I am amazed I need to say this, but the pandemic is not over people.