Leslie Jones Gutted Over Charley Pride’s Death: ‘F— Corona’

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Leslie Jones shared her reaction to the death of country music giant Charley Pride on Twitter. Pride died on Saturday due to coronavirus-related complications. He was 86 years old.

“My mom used to love her some Charley Pride,” Jones said in the video. “Can you believe that corona took him out? He’s lived through decades of probably beating all kinds of obstacles and corona is what takes him out. Sucks, man. Corona sucks man. F– corona, seriously. Rest in peace, Charley.”

Other Pride fans flocked under the tweet to share their shock and mourning over the artist’s death. “My Dad’s favourite, so immediately not mine. Took me a long time to admit his greatness,” one response read. “Such a beautiful rich voice with the knowledge a star has of how and when to use his talent.”

Pride’s family broke the news on Saturday. “It is with great sadness that we confirm that Charley Pride passed away this morning, Saturday, December 12, 2020, in Dallas, Texas of complications from COVID-19 at age 86,” they shared on Facebook. “He was admitted to the hospital in late November with COVID-19 type symptoms and despite the incredible efforts, skill and care of his medical team over the past several weeks, he was unable to overcome the virus. Charley felt blessed to have such wonderful fans all over the world. And he would want his fans to take this virus very seriously.”

The “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’” singer’s death came just a month after attending the indoors CMA Awards in November, where he was honored with the 2020 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. The incident left many country music artists wondering if the 86-year-old caught COVID-19 somehow by attending the show.

The CMAs have since responded to the development claiming, “Everyone affiliated with the CMA Awards followed strict testing protocols outlined by the city health department and unions. Charley was tested prior to traveling to Nashville. He was tested upon landing in Nashville, and again on show day, with all tests coming back negative. After returning to Texas following the CMA Awards, Charley again tested negative multiple times. All of us in the Country Music community are heartbroken by Charley’s passing. Out of respect for his family during their grieving period, we will not be commenting on this further.”