Jennifer Lopez donates $1m to Puerto Rico hurricane recovery effort

Jennifer Lopez has donated $1m in aid to the Puerto Rico recovery effort, following the devastating effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Lopez, who is of Puerto Rican parentage and was born in the Bronx, has said she will source the money from her Las Vegas residency shows. On a video posted on her Instagram account, Lopez revealed that she had not been able to reach family members living on the island.

She is co-chairing the New York state recovery effort, and announced her donation at a press conference on 24 September alongside the New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who had just returned from the island. They announced a scheme that encourages New York residents to donate goods, and aims to provide healthcare support.

Having already been battered by Hurricane Irma, on 20 September the island was hit by Hurricane Maria, the strongest storm to reach Puerto Rico in more than 80 years, with winds of 155mph and more than 20 inches of rain. It left the island’s 3.5m residents without power, a situation that could take months to rectify. The death toll currently stands at 10, but is expected to rise.

Lopez is currently performing the seventh leg of her Las Vegas residency, All I Have, which began in January 2016. The most successful Vegas residency of last year, the shows have grossed more than $50m to date.

(THE GUARDIAN)