Jennifer Lopez pledges $1m to Hurricane Maria relief effort

Jennifer Lopez has pledged $1 million to the relief effort in Puerto Rico after the island was ravaged by Hurricane Maria last week.

The singer, whose parents are Puerto Rican, said she would donate a portion of the sales from her Las Vegas shows to help victims.

During a joint press conference with the Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo on Sunday, J-Lo said: “Puerto Ricans are American citizens. And today, Puerto Ricans need our help.

“I will be donating $1 million from the proceeds of my Las Vegas show to the designated beneficiaries, charities and NGO organizations.”

Lopez, who has taken up residency at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood resort, will donate $1m from the proceeds of her show, which runs until February next year.

Hurricane Maria has devastated Puerto Rico, leaving the islands’s 3.4 million residents without power and forcing some 15,000 people to seek refuge in shelters.

Lopez said she had not been able to make contact with some family members living on the islands.

“We are concerned for them and for everyone on the island,” she said.