Actor Ice-T used his “no masker” father-in-law on Sunday as a cautionary tale while the coronavirus pandemic surges unchecked into the holiday season.
The “Law & Order: SVU” star tweeted the ordeal of Steve Austin ― the father of his wife, Coco Austin ― who contracted COVID-19, spent 40 days in the ICU and nearly died.
In an undated photo he shared of Austin appearing to take oxygen, Ice-T wrote that his father-in-law “was a serious ‘No Masker’” until “COVID hit him.”
“Pneumonia in both lungs.. 40 days in ICU close to death.. Now he’s on Oxygen indefinitely,” the actor tweeted. “Ohhh he’s a Believer now.”
Austin came down with coronavirus symptoms on Father’s Day, and the disease quickly progressed. In July, Ice-T provided an update of his father-in-law’s condition on “The Tonight Show” and tweeted that Austin was finally able to go home from the hospital but was “on Oxygen indefinitely” because of lung damage.
UPDATE: Coco’s dad is finally outta the hospital and home after his fight with Covid… He’s on Oxygen indefinitely because of lung damage though. Thanks for all the love and good wishes.. ‘Pic from when he was healthy and on tour with us..’ #COVIDpic.twitter.com/thgxaIw9NA
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) July 25, 2020
Ice-T said then that he was publicizing Austin’s ordeal on social media because there were still people who thought the pandemic was a hoax (as did Austin, according to his daughter). The actor said he knew eight people who had died from COVID-19.
“I don’t need more proof than that to know I don’t want to play with it,” he said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Grammy-winning rapper had previously commented he’d “probably rock a mask and keep my distance for the rest of my life.”
Somebody in my comments said I sound scared.. YES I’m scared of YOUR contaminated breath! I’ll probably rock a mask and keep my distance for the rest of my life…
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) July 15, 2020
