Heather McDonald was hospitalized Saturday night after collapsing onstage during a standup comedy show. She suffered a skull fracture.
The Chelsea Lately alum, 51, fainted three minutes into her 7 p.m. set at the Tempe Improv in Tempe, Ariz. She was admitted to a local hospital where a comprehensive work up [is] under way.”
“Thus far the test have revealed no underlying medical issues that may have precipitated this event,” her rep added, noting that she performed the night before with no incident and she didn’t consume any alcohol before or during Saturday’s show.
Prior to her set, McDonald spent the morning with her son.
McDonald’s fainting spell does not appear to be COVID-related. Her rep also said she received a booster shot approximately three weeks ago and recently tested negative for coronavirus.
Audience members told TMZ that the comedian collapsed after making a joke about being “vaxxed, double vaxxed, boosted,” leading many to initially believe it was part of the act. An EMT and nurse, who happened to be in the audience, rushed to the stage to provide first aid.
McDonald told the outlet she passed on an ambulance and had her sister-in-law drive her to the hospital.
The Juicy Scoop podcast host gave her nearly 280,000 Instagram followers an update from her hospital bed on Saturday night, revealing that she fell on her eye. “So, I’m in the emergency room,” McDonald began in a clip posted on her Instagram Story.
“Oh my god, I’m so, so, so, so sorry. I passed out onstage. I got up, I did one joke and I felt so dizzy,” she recalled, adding: “I cannot believe this happened. I feel so terrible that they had to tell everyone to leave and then cancel the second show. Tempe, I will be back. I’ve never ever fainted in my life.”
McDonald’s health scare comes after her former colleague Chelsea Handler had to cancel multiple shows on her Vaccinated & Horny Tour comedy tour after suffering a health “scare” of her own.
Heather Ann McDonald is an American actress, comedian, and author. Born and educated in Southern California, she is best known for her appearances on the E! series Chelsea Lately. She was one of the eight writers on the show and often participated in sketches and segments.