Last fall, Billy Porter abruptly withdrew from the Broadway production of Cabaret after developing a serious case of sepsis. Appearing on the podcast Outlaws this week, Porter reflected on his illness, which he said nearly killed him.
Porter, who is 56, said that he had a kidney stone that was so badly infected that he developed urosepsis — a type of sepsis that can occur when a UTI goes untreated and spreads to the kidneys. After checking into the hospital, he was put on an ECMO machine, which is a form of life support. Porter said that while he was in a coma, his leg went into compartment syndrome, and doctors had to operate “so they could save my leg.”
“I was dead for three days,” Porter said, getting emotional. “I am a miracle. I’m a walking miracle.” He added, “I am so grateful to be here. It is such a gift.”
Porter also discussed a recent viral red-carpet interview where he called out Nicki Minaj for her support of Donald Trump. His brush with death led him to realize that he had “unconsciously silenced myself for fear that I wouldn’t be on the A-list anymore,” he said. As he sat in his hospital bed, reflecting, Porter says he heard a voice that said, “Don’t you ever stop telling the truth again.”