Daniel Radcliffe Addresses Coronavirus Rumors, “Cursed Child” Performances Canceled

by · March 13, 2020

These days, it seems like we’re all living in some kind of science-fiction movie – with the whole world panicking over COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, we’re kind of feeling like the wizarding world must have felt when Voldemort was at large once again. At least Potterheads still have the option of hosting a massive Harry Potter marathon, should they be forced to work from home.

Unfortunately, the virus is affecting entertainment on a wide scale, and San Francisco has canceled its Harry Potter and the Cursed Child shows for March. This follows after the state of California issued a restriction on gatherings of more than 250 people. This almost sounds like one of Dolores Umbridge’s decrees, but even though we are very gutted for everyone who was looking forward to the show, safety still comes first. On Thursday, Broadway also announced that it was suspending all its plays and musicals for 32 days, effective immediately. This includes all performances of Cursed Child as well and comes after city and state officials banned gatherings of more than 500 people.

Cursed Child‘s official Facebook page posted a notice Thursday morning, announcing the cancellation of the San Francisco shows. The post stressed that these measures were being taken to “ensure the safety of all our patrons, cast and crew.” Tickets for the show will be refunded for all March performances. Whether the show will continue in April is still unclear. An official statement on the Cursed Child website said that a decision around April’s shows will be made at a later stage and will depend on recommendations from health officials. Those who want to refund their tickets for the March shows can do so by contacting curranboxoffice@theambassadors.com or get a refund at their original point of purchase. Those who purchased Broadway tickets will be allowed to rebook future performances or receive a full refund.

In the meantime, fans also had a scare after a fake post claiming that Daniel Radcliffe had been diagnosed with the coronavirus went viral. It all started with a fake BBC Twitter account that claimed Radcliffe had tested positive for the virus. The tweet came from an account with the username of @BBCNewsTonight. It read, “BREAKING: Daniel Radcliffe tests positive for coronavirus. The actor is said to be the first famous person to be publicly confirmed.” Twitter has suspended the page for violating its rules and guidelines. Radcliffe’s publicist spoke to BuzzFeed, saying that the rumors were not true. Australian radio host Smallzy gave Radcliffe a call to clear up any misunderstandings and doubts. He posted his conversation with Radcliffe on Twitter on Thursday, putting the rumors to rest at last.

 

 

We’re really happy to hear that Radcliffe is still in the clear, and even though things seem really dark right now, we would do well to remember Albus Dumbeldore’s wise words, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

 

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Marica Laing

Growing up, I was a massive fan of Harry Potter and my love for the stories grew as I got older. It’s no surprise then that I love writing about all things Potter related. When I’m not writing about all the magic, you’ll find me reading (probably something Harry Potter related), listening to music, or writing some songs.