Billy Porter reflects on harrowing sepsis experience and says he was ‘dead for 3 days’
Topics: Celebrity
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images
Topics: Celebrity
Billy Porter has candidly opened up about his battle with sepsis in 2025, which left the Broadway icon fighting for his life in intensive care.
The 56 year old performer went public with news of his illness back in September, when he was forced to pull out of a performance of Cabaret with no warning.
Speaking at the time, it was reported that Porter was dealing with a ‘serious case’ of sepsis, a condition where the body attacks itself in response to an infection.
As a result of the condition, he had been advised ‘to maintain a restful schedule’ for several weeks, meaning he could no longer perform on stage while he recovered.
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However, in his recent appearance on TS Madison’s Outlaws podcast, Porter has finally lifted the lid on just how close to death he came and what prompted the condition in the first place.
According to Porter, things first came to light during a ‘routine’ visit to his primary care provider, when they discovered that a kidney stone ‘was trapped in [his] urethra.’
"When they got in there, there was so much puss, and bile, and infection behind the stone. It bubbled up and I went uroseptic in minutes," he shared.
This particular form of sepsis takes place when a urinary tract infection goes untreated and the infection travels to the kidneys.
But it was the severity of the infection which caused order’s immune system to jump into overdrive, effectively attacking his own body instead of just the root cause.
Things got so bad, that within hours Porter had been placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, better known as ECMO,that takes over the function of the heart and lungs in patients with severe, life-threatening organ failure so that they can recover.
"I was dead for three days. I am a miracle. I'm a walking miracle," Porter said.
Once he had recovered enough to come off the machine, doctors informed him that his leg ‘had gone into compartment syndrome, which is when the muscles close in on themselves and cut off the oxygen.’
"So they had to cut me open on either side of my leg while I was in a coma, and from my knee to my hip, and leave it open for two days, so they could save my leg," he said, adding, "I am so grateful to be here. It is such a gift.”
Having come so close to death, the experience gave Porter a renewed appreciation for life and the harrowing, but life-changing experience has now reshaped the way he approaches things.
“As I sat in my hospital bed, reflecting, there were a couple of things I heard. The first thing I heard was: Work smarter, not harder. The second thing I heard was: Be obedient and answer the call. And the third thing I heard was: Don't you ever stop telling the truth again. I unconsciously silenced myself for fear that I wouldn't be on the A-list anymore," he said.