Taylor Swift surprises some of her fans with money donations amid Coronavirus outbreak

From finding ways to help ors cope to sheltering in place to canceling events, here’s a look at some of ways entertainment industry is reacting to spre of coronavirus, which most people recover from but can cause severe illness in elderly and those with preexisting medical conditions.

TAYLOR SWIFT SENDING MONEY TO FANS

Taylor Swift is helping fill blank where incomes have gone for several of her fans. Some have gotten thousands of dollars from “Lover” and “1989” hit maker.

One fan, Holly Turner, got a cash infusion from Swift after freelance music photographer and graphic designer wrote on Tumblr that her livelihood was threatened and she was considering wher to leave New York City.

Swift sent $3,000 and wrote, “Holly, you’ve always been re for me. I want to be re for you right w. I hope this helps. Love, Taylor.” Turner was understandably shocked. Swift “literally single-handedly saved my ability to stay here. I cant even believe my eyes right w,” Turner wrote.

Swift also sent $3,000 to ar fan who was stressed about bills piling up, prompting this response from grateful recipient: “This beautiful magical unbelievable human. I don’t even kw where to begin.”

‘OUR COUNTRY’ LINEUP ANUNCED

Acemy of Country Music anunced an all-star list of performers for its an at-home country music special that is airing on CBS on April 5, in lieu of its delayed awards show. Shania Twain, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church are among 23 performers that will be featured in “ACM Presents: Our Country.”

ACMs delayed scheduled awards show to Sept. 16, which will be hosted by Urban.

Or stars who will be performing at home for special include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown and John Legend, Luke Bryan, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Florida Georgia Line, Ly Antebellum, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Old Dominion, Br Paisley and Darius Rucker and Thomas Rhett.

show will also feature a tribute to late country legend Kenny Rogers, who died March 20, by Bryan, Paisley and Rucker.

FOURTH TOP PUBLISHER DROPS OUT OF BOOKEXPO

Ar top publisher has dropped out of BookExpo, industry’s annual national convention. Hachette Book Group became fourth of so-called “Big Five” to anunce it would t attend July garing and fan-based BookCon which immediately follows.

“With impact of coronavirus still an unkwn, Hachette Book Group has decided to withdraw our participation in Book Expo and BookCon 2020 in interest of health and well-being of our employees and authors,” according to a statement Thursday from publisher. “We’ll miss having opportunity to eng with booksellers, librarians, and reers but are committed to finding new ways to connect se audiences with our books and authors.”

Penguin Random House, HarperCollins Publishers and Simon & Schuster have alrey canceled. fifth major publisher, Macmillan, has declined comment.

convention’s organizer, ReedPOP, h alrey postponed BookExpo and BookCon from May to July. event is to be held at Jacob Javits Convention Center, which New York state has converted to a medical facility.

BROWAY MOURNS AR LOSS

St, movie and TV character actor Mark Blum, who h roles in films “Desperately Seeking Susan” and “Crocodile Dundee,” has died from complications from coronavirus. He was 69.

An executive with labor union SAG-AFTRA and off-Broway ater company Playwrights Horizons anunced death Thursday. Blum h been a fixture off-Broway with recent roles in Playwrights Horizons’ “Rancho Viejo” and “Fern Hill” at 59E59 aters. He was a SAG-AFTRA board member from 2007-2013.

“Those of us lucky eugh to have kwn him will treasure our memories of a gifted actor, a master teacher, a loyal friend, and a beautiful human,” Rebecca Damon, SAG-AFTRA executive vice president and New York president, wrote in tribute.

Blum’s recent Broway credits included “ Assembled Parties,” “Twelve Angry Men,” “Gore Vidal’s Best Man” — twice — and Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers.”

Blum played Rosanna Arquette’s husband in 1985 comedy “Desperately Seeking Susan” and h a role in “Crocodile Dundee” as newspaper editor. He was on Amazon series “Mozart in Jungle” and was in Netflix crime drama “You.”

virus has sickened some Broway veterans, including actors Gavin Creel, Aaron Tveit and Laura Bell Bundy and composer David Bryan. It also has claimed life of four-time Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally.