Selena Gomez has won the support of French President Emmanuel Macron after encouraging world leaders to pledge their support to help provide poorer nations with Covid-19 vaccines.
The Come & Get It singer, who has teamed up with Global Citizen bosses to host the forthcoming VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World, took to Twitter over the weekend to reach out to the heads of government in each of the G7 member states - Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. - urging them to come together in the fight against the coronavirus.
She tweeted: "Please join me and send a message to France's @EmmanuelMacron and other #G7 leaders asking them to pledge dollars or doses to help everyone around the world fight the Covid-19 pandemic."
Macron has since responded to her call for action, explaining they have already been participating in the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) plan to increase accessibility to the jabs.
"Dear @SelenaGomez, thank you for carrying this crucial message to all leaders," he wrote. "France has already started sending out its first doses of vaccine to Africa through #Covax, and it's just the beginning. Thanks for spreading the word! Let's stand with those who have less. Now."
Replying to the news, Selena shared, "Thank you! We need all #G7 leaders to stand with those who have less."
She then turned her focus to U.S. President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and even White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain in an effort to gain their attention: "I'm really hoping the US also hears this and takes a stand. With US leadership #WeCanDoThis and end the pandemic for everyone. #VaxLive.”
Selena had also sent tweets to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and New Zealand's leader Jacinda Ardern, seeking their support, too.
Sanchez saw the message and wrote back, "Spain is commited (sic) to equal and universal access to vaccines, @selenagomez. Just this week, I have announced that we will make about 7.5 million doses available to Latin America and the Caribbean this year. Only together we will succeed. See you at #VaxLive!"
"Thank you! Your commitment will save lives around the world," Selena posted.
"@JacindaArdern can we count on your support too? You've helped New Zealand fight Covid-19 domestically. Now we need your help globally to ensure everyone can access the vaccine. #VaxLive"
And it's not just politicians whose actions have come under increased scrutiny amid the push to aid those in less developed nations - Selena also demanded action from vaccine developers to do their part to help out by providing the inoculations on a "not-for-profit" basis for countries "most in need".
Jennifer Lopez, the Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder, J Balvin, and H.E.R. will be performing at the VAX LIVE event, during which organisers are aiming to secure $22.1 billion in pledges from world leaders, government officials, corporation bosses, and philanthropists in order to get "two billion Covid-19 vaccine doses, tests, and treatments to the world's poorest countries by the end of 2021".
The pre-recorded show will air in the U.S. on 8 May.
