Celebrities Brave Septic Shock: From Childbirth to Spider Bites, These Stars Share Their Life-Threatening Health Battles

Celebrities have increasingly shared their struggles with severe health conditions, such as septic shock.

The Mayo Clinic defines sepsis as a critical state where the body's reaction to an infection becomes dysregulated, impairing organ function.

August 2025 saw Bringing Up Bates personality Erin Bates develop septic shock following the delivery of her seventh child, Henry.

Her husband, Chad Paine, explained on Instagram that “Erin suffered from a severe urinary tract and kidney infection, which escalated into septic shock.” He added, “She remains in the ICU as medical professionals persist in providing care, identifying the issue, and seeking solutions. We earnestly request your prayers for this wonderful woman who shines brightly in a challenging world. We are relying on God's assurances.”

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Bates subsequently experienced a seizure before progressively recovering her health.

In September 2025, Paine posted on Instagram, “With heartfelt gratitude, we thank the Lord that her recovery is underway. Your collective prayers have truly been answered.”

Scroll down to discover other notable figures who have confronted sepsis:

Erin Bates

The Bringing Up Bates personality experienced septic shock in August 2025, triggered by a “severe UTI and kidney infection” after welcoming her seventh baby, Henry. Bates endured a seizure but is now gradually “on the path to recovery.”

Billy Porter

By September 2025, Porter concluded his engagement in Broadway's Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club because of a “grave bout of sepsis.”

A statement released on the show's social media stated, “Billy Porter is also required to leave the production.” It continued, “His physicians are certain of his complete recovery but have recommended a period of rest.”

Amelia Gray Hamlin

Following a nipple piercing, Lisa Rinna’s daughter contracted a severe infection from it during a Coachella event.

Rinna recounted on her and husband Harry Hamlin’s “Let’s Not Talk About the Husband” podcast in September 2025: “[Amelia] was standing on a balcony, someone nudged her, pushing her forward, and her breast struck a bush. This action seemingly forced the nipple into the breast, and that evening, she returned home with an extremely high fever and a significantly swollen breast.”

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Rinna reported that Amelia's “breasts swelled to an enormous size” after a visit to an urgent care clinic for X-rays.

She elaborated, “Unsure of how to proceed, we contacted an infectious disease specialist. She had to see the infectious disease doctor! She developed sepsis in her breast. … She must have punctured something when she encountered the bush, leading to sepsis, and required IV antibiotics for a week. It was genuinely quite perilous, everyone. It was dangerous. Regardless, they're no longer an issue.”

Vicki Gunvalson

August 2024 saw Gunvalson disclose her battle with sepsis, with doctors giving her only a “10 to 20 percent” likelihood of recovery.

During an installment of her “My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast,” Gunvalson recounted to her partner, Michael Smith, visiting the hair salon “as was her routine” earlier that day.

She explained, “Upon arriving at the office… I had a client arriving, and she observed me speaking incoherently, and an email I composed was nonsensical.” She mentioned that the client, a “retired ER doctor,” recognized an issue. “He stood up and informed [Michael's daughter] Olivia that I might be experiencing a stroke, we weren't sure. I have no recollection of it, and [Olivia] transported me to the hospital.”

The Real Housewives of Orange County personality stated she received an incorrect diagnosis of a sinus infection at the emergency room and was sent home that evening. (Gunvalson had a prior sinus infection but appeared to be “improving.”)

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After being released from the hospital, Gunvalson was enjoying a bubble bath when she “lost consciousness.”

Smith recounted, describing “one of the most frightening” aspects of the event: “I entered and she was largely unconscious. I lifted her, removed her from the water, and placed her in bed. The physician had suggested she simply needed rest, so I put her to bed, and she slept for a solid 13 or 14 hours.”

Upon waking, Gunvalson was confused, prompting Smith to take her back to the emergency room, where doctors discovered she was suffering from a “widespread infection.”

He clarified, “It turned out to be sepsis, but the underlying cause was pneumonia. And what occurred – I'm not a medical professional, but as it was explained – is that when your system combats such a significant and perilous infection, your entire body mobilizes against it, impacting the brain and all other bodily functions as your body dedicates all its resources to the fight.”

Gunvalson “retains little memory” and carries significant “trauma” from the ordeal.

She remarked, “I often find myself weeping. And Michael continually asks, ‘Why are you still crying?’ I have no explanation. Just a week prior, we were in Barcelona, covering 16 to 20 thousand steps, truly enjoying ourselves. Then, three days later, I was in the hospital.”

John Daly

A year prior to his bladder cancer diagnosis, the professional golfer was vacationing in England when a brown recluse spider bite led to him developing sepsis. He required urgent surgery. (Daly's cancer is presently in remission.)

Mikkey Dee

By January 2025, the Scorpions' drummer contracted sepsis subsequent to a foot sprain. He initially attempted to manage the discomfort with medication, but his condition deteriorated.

He told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet in an interview then, “My ankle became terribly swollen, then it took on an odd shape and appearance, resembling an overcooked ham. I grew very unwell, necessitating an ambulance trip to Sahlgrenska, where tests revealed extremely elevated markers, making me a top priority. Immediate surgery followed, the first of three. They removed the dead, infected, and heavily compromised tissue. I was on a perilous path. One more day, and I would have been drumming with Lemmy [Kilmister] in the afterlife, I can assure you.”

Abby Lee Miller

During the summer of 2024, the former Dance Moms personality experienced a urinary tract infection, which subsequently caused her to develop sepsis.

In a September 2024 Daily Mail interview, she clarified, “I was nearing the conclusion of my [Abby Lee Spills the Tea] tour… and began encountering issues with my catheter. It simply required a replacement. I undergo this procedure monthly.”

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Miller, who received a Burkitt lymphoma diagnosis in 2018 and has since relied on a wheelchair, mentioned that a nurse accompanying her “wasn't at ease” performing the catheter change in their current room.

She stated, “I'm unsure why, as it's a routine procedure. I delayed it for a day, which proved to be an error. Subsequently, my back and kidneys began aching. I was crying out in agony.”

Miller was transported to a local hospital, where she “remained in the emergency room for five and a half hours, awaiting someone to replace her catheter.”

She elaborated, “I developed sepsis, and the infection ascended to my kidneys,” noting her four-day stay in the ICU.

She affirmed, “I recovered quickly. My friend from Pittsburgh commented, ‘I still can't tell if you're the most unfortunate or the most fortunate person on Earth.’”

Jamie-Lynn Sigler

In June 2024, Sigler disclosed that she experienced a “severe adverse reaction to a surgical procedure,” leading to sepsis.

On her “MeSsy” podcast, she revealed, “Roughly a year ago, I traveled to India, resided in an ashram, and felt profoundly enlightened, connected, and serene. Upon my return, two weeks later, I suffered a severe complication from surgery, developed sepsis, was hospitalized, and nearly died. I've never shared this with anyone.”

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The actress explained that the year 2023 evolved into her “year of mourning” after the traumatic event.

She stated, “Never before in my life had I felt such profound sadness or despair. However, my time in India taught me the importance of confronting these feelings directly. I had to experience them. I would yell into pillows, confide in friends. I sought support, spent time alone, consulted a therapist. I undertook all these actions, which were new to me, and moved through a process that was entirely essential.”

Ashley Park

The Emily in Paris star experienced “critical septic shock” stemming from a severe bout of tonsillitis.

Park posted on Instagram in January 2024, “During my holiday from December through New Year's, what began as tonsillitis quickly escalated into critical septic shock, impacting and infecting multiple organs. I am thankful for the improvement in my health, contrary to initial predictions. My deepest gratitude goes to Paul [Forman] for his unwavering support throughout this ordeal.”

Following her sincere message to her partner, Park mentioned that she “was reluctant to disclose these events,” but she is confident that she is now “securely past the most difficult period.”

She concluded, “Thank you for taking the time to read this. I apologize for my recent significant absence [on social media] and from those in my life. I send my love to all of you. I am recovering, and I assure you I will be alright.”

Whoopi Goldberg

In 2019, Goldberg fought against pneumonia and sepsis, a struggle that almost claimed her life.

She conveyed in a February 2019 message on The View, “I am present. I am mobile and active. Not with the speed I'd prefer, but I am well. I am not deceased. I was extremely close to departing this world. The good news is, I didn't.”

Larry King

After contracting COVID-19, King passed away in January 2021 at 87 years old. Later that month, Larry's spouse, Shawn Southwick King, disclosed that King's death was due to a sepsis infection “unconnected” to COVID-19.

She informed Entertainment Tonight, “It was an infection, it was sepsis. He was at peace with passing, I can tell you that. He never truly wished to leave, but his dear body had simply endured so many challenges, and upon hearing 'COVID,' our hearts sank. Yet, he overcame it, he did, but it undeniably took its toll, and ultimately, an unrelated infection was what took him, though he certainly didn't surrender without a fight.”

Joshua Bassett

By June 2021, the singer revealed he initially believed he suffered from food poisoning, but his condition was later identified as heart failure, leading to septic shock.

In an interview with GQ, he recounted, “I began feeling profoundly unwell, and my condition progressively deteriorated. I assumed it was food poisoning or something similar. It worsened, and continued to worsen.”

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Following “unbearable pain,” he was admitted to the emergency room, where doctors diagnosed him with septic shock and heart failure.

He explained, “The medical staff informed me I had a 30 percent chance of survival. They stated that if I hadn't presented to the hospital within 12 hours, I would have been discovered deceased in my residence,” adding that he was now “feeling significantly better.”

Tyler James Williams

The Abbott Elementary actor disclosed in January 2023 that his Crohn's disease diagnosis came while he was attempting to build muscle, consistently enduring severe abdominal discomfort and difficulty retaining food.

He told Men's Health in an interview, “I was truly pushing my physical boundaries. By December, my body simply collapsed. Every system failed.” He mentioned his bowels were severely inflamed due to Crohn's disease, leading to emergency surgery to excise six inches of his lower intestine. When his intestines failed to heal, he developed septic shock.

Williams recounted spending subsequent months relying on an intravenous feeding system, which left him severely weakened.

He recollected, “My final thought was, 'This might be the end. If it is, I'm not content. I worked extensively. I accomplished many things. I didn't find joy in any of it. This cannot be the conclusion.'” He then added that he is now more robust than ever, having cultivated “a healthier connection” with his body. “For me, and for others in similar situations, it's crucial to remember that endurance is a significant aspect of life. If you cannot maintain strength and health, there is truly no purpose.”