Rosie O'Donnell Raises $500,000 for Coronavirus Relief During Live-Stream Fundraiser

Jodi Guglielmi
·2 min read

Rosie O’Donnell‘s coronavirus fundraiser was a success!

After bringing back her hit talk show, Rosie O’Donnell Show, for a one-night-only event on Sunday, O’Donnell revealed that the live-stream benefit raised an impressive $500,000.

“1/2 a million dollars for the actors fund – thank u everyone,” she tweeted after the show wrapped.

All proceeds from the show went to The Actors Fund in order to help amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in Broadway canceling all performances until April 13.

The Actors Fund provides services for people in the arts and entertainment community, including the Artists Health Insurance Resource Center, The Career Center, housing resources, addiction and recovery, HIV/AIDS and senior services, and counseling and emergency financial assistance, among others.

According to Variety, O’Donnell, 58, contributed $100,000 of her own money to the fund.

“Everybody who knows me knows that Broadway has been one of the brightest lights in my life since the time I was a little girl. It has also been the lifeblood of New York City for generation after generation. After all Broadway has given to the world, now — in this time of tremendous need — it’s our turn to give something back,” O’Donnell, a 12-time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award recipient, said in a statement to PEOPLE before the fundraiser. “There is no better way to support this community than via The Actors Fund. And, with a line-up like this, I dare you not to tune in.”

Bruce Glikas/WireImage

RELATED: Rosie O’Donnell Slams Donald Trump for Previous Coronavirus Comments: ‘He Is Such a Disappointment’

The evening featured performances and appearances from a number of A-list actors and entertainers — all from the comfort of their own homes! — including Sarah Jessica Parker, Darren Criss, Gloria Estefan, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, David Foster, Morgan Freeman, Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Skylar Astin, Matthew Broderick, Tituss Burgess and Kristin Chenoweth.

As of Monday morning, there have been over 33,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. and 428 deaths, according to a New York Times database. With West Virginia reporting their first case last Tuesday evening, the virus has now spread to all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Globally, Johns Hopkins University reports, there have been more than 350,000 total confirmed cases, including over 15,000 deaths and 100,182 total recovered patients.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.