Billy Porter is sharing a health update after being hospitalized with what he described as a “serious case of sepsis,” calling the past several months of recovery “very challenging.”
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In a video posted to Instagram on Monday (Dec. 22), the Tony and Emmy Award winner addressed fans directly, saying he continues to recover after falling seriously ill earlier this year.
“I want everybody to know that I am on the road to a full recovery,” Porter said in the video. “I’m not there yet, but I’m on the road to that.”
Porter revealed that he was hospitalized this fall after being diagnosed with urosepsis, a severe and potentially life-threatening complication that occurs when a urinary tract infection spreads into the bloodstream. “It was not easy,” he said. “It’s been a very, very challenging four months.”
Visibly emotional, Porter thanked fans for their support throughout his recovery, crediting them with helping him through the ordeal.
“I wanted to thank everybody for your prayers and your love and sending me all the vibes,” he said. “I felt every single one of them. And I know that I’m alive today because of my fans.”
The update follows news from September that Cabaret would cut its Broadway run short after Porter withdrew from the production while recovering from his illness. At the time, the production confirmed he had been battling a “serious case of sepsis.”
Porter also shared a message alongside the video post, writing, “She’s ALIVE!!! Proof of life, PTL!!! Thank you all for the thoughts, prayers and healing energy! Merry Christmas one and all!”
Despite the difficult recovery, Porter appears eager to return to work. He is next set to appear in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and also promoted his new holiday film Christmas Karma, now streaming on Amazon Prime.
While acknowledging he is still not fully recovered, Porter emphasized that progress is being made. “I’m here,” he said. “And I’m grateful.”
