Tracy Morgan has had his share of health issues, including diabetes and renal disease, over the past few years. About a year ago, the comedian underwent a kidney transplant and had to miss the tapings for a few “30 Rock” episodes, but he has since continued his career unabated. That is, he’s done so until very early this morning when Tracy passed out after a Sundance award ceremony where he gave a very slurred speech. Hopefully, he wasn’t just drunk:
Tracy Morgan was rushed to a hospital moments ago at the Sundance Film Festival — after the actor fell unconscious at an award ceremony … TMZ has learned.
Tracy was being honored at the Creative Coalition Spotlight Awards in Park City, Utah — and sources tell TMZ, he appeared extremely intoxicated during his award acceptance speech.
We’re told Tracy was escorted out of the building soon after his speech — and fell unconscious outside the building.
Law enforcement sources tell us, an ambulance was then dispatched to Tracy’s location.
We’re told Tracy was picked up and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Calls to Tracy’s rep were not immediately returned.
Amy Roberts, a spokeswoman for Park City Medical Center, tells TMZ no drugs or alcohol were found in Tracy’s system upon medical evaluation.
Morgan’s rep, Lewis Kay, also released a statement saying, “From a combination of exhaustion and altitude, Tracy is seeking medical attention.”
Kay adds, “He is with his fiancée and grateful to the Park City Medical Center for their care. Any reports of Tracy consuming alcohol are 100% false.”
[From TMZ]
Well, it is entirely possible that Tracy really was suffering from altitude sickness and exhaustion, but he might have also had a drink or two before his speech. Perhaps it’s a combination of all three, but I do hope he wasn’t drinking at all because of the dangers associated with diabetic drinking. Luckily, he seems to be on the mend and has the best people possible working to get him there.
Here are Tracy with his fiancé, Megan Wollover, last October outside the Ed Sullivan theater before Tracy’s appearance on Letterman.
Photos courtesy of WENN
Where’s Liz Lemon when you need her?!
LOL!
I love 30 Rock, but last episode it was effin’ weird when they re-enacted the whole gay-joke rift between himself and Tina (apparently they haven’t been speaking to each other on set since that happened…maybe that’s changed since they seemed to make light of it in the storyline…)
Hope he wasn’t drinking. But even if he was, here’s to a quick recovery.
I think this could have been a diabetes-related issue, rather than an alcohol-related one.
Low Blood Sugar can mimic intoxication symptoms. I am no longer a Tracy fan but I still hope he gets better.
Used to train running 120 miles a week. Have a job, 2 kids, 2 dogs, run around alot in general….another words, exhaustion is not uncommon. Passed out from it though, right. Hospitalization for exhaustion is simply a mask for something else.
Word. I got 3 kids under 5 and I would have needed to be hospitalized for the past year. People who are working 2 jobs with other life demands are probably also exhausted. These Hollywood types are probably the most well rested people around. I used to be a hospital nurse, not once in 8 years did I admit someone who was “exhausted” or “tired”.
Agree.
Its ‘Hollywood speak’ for well, drink or drugs or both- usually.
“Hopefully he wasn’t just drunk.” Really? So what are we hoping for? That he was drunk and suffering cereberal edema? Slurred speech is a symptom of pressure on the brain from altitude sickness. Poor Tracey might have just been dangerously ill – so I guess you got your wish – probably not just drunk.
Yeah, I have to agree, here. I had a couple fainting spells this past summer, which I attributed to heat, stress, and perhaps drinking without having eaten yet. But in early autumn, on my lunch break, I had a seizure (in the middle of a Wal-Mart, cuz I’m classy like that). It was scary, and unexpected, and I really did behave like I’d been f*cked up on something shortly before and after both the fainting spells and the seizure.
The day of the seizure, I was so woozy and disoriented (I couldn’t remember my mother’s name or what year it was) that the medic had to call my employer to explain that I had been taken to hospital.
I really, really wish she had been able to tell them that I was “just drunk” 🙁
I was about to say the same thing. And why keep bringing up alcohol? If you hope he wasn’t drunk, why disbelieve the sources that said he wasn’t? This is the most non-controversial thing he’s done in public in a while.
He has a liver transplant not long ago. Dunno how long the recovery for something like that takes, maybe he isn’t fully on the mend yet?
in more he’s diabetic
Anyone know a non-rich person who was hospitalised for exhaustion?
HAha!
To answer the question: Yes. And it was a cover story for a mental breakdown.
Yes- although a bunch of people I know (soccer in the midwest, the weather gets up to like 115 in the summer) have had “heat exhaustion” but I know someone else that had “exhaustion” and basically had to spend a few days getting anti anxiety medicine…ha. So idk?
Hope he’s doing OK. He does have a lot of health issues.
I was in Denver 2 years ago and I got altitude sickness. The sidewalk started to move, I would get 30 second dizzy spells, it was awful. It took 2 days to clear up. Yes, I had one drink and I bet that didn’t help! I felt like going to the hospital!
I believe this one.
Same here. I went to Colorado for my step brother’s graduation and altitude sickness can hit you really hard it you’re not used to it/already tired or dehydrated. I needed to sit down and put my head in between my legs just because I walked up some stairs in heels.
Most people underestimate just how much the altitude can affect your body. I’ve lived in Colorado for 6 years now (OMG NONNATIVE!), and the first day home after visiting the “Motherland” (WI), I get terrible headaches and sore throats.
It’s worse for my (out of shape) family members when they come to visit. My sister once neglected to hydrate and passed out on a very gentle hike (at the Garden of the Gods). My brother got sick at my favorite bar after only 3 beers. And this is all in the Front Range! Can’t imagine taking them higher. . .
Normally altitude doesn’t get me, but I too have gotten so sick skiing in Utah that I missed half my vacation. Terrible headaches, exhaustion. I didn’t go to the hospital, but I haven’t have a liver transplant…
This may be totally stupid, but have your relatives thought about going to one of the gyms that have altitude training? Normally it’s just treadmills in a special room…but we used them for soccer A LOT in order to have an edge over other teams. That might help them “train” to come see you? haha
I completely believe that this could be altitude sickness, particularly for someone who is already diabetic. Changes in altitude affect individuals in drastically different ways. It takes the body several weeks to make a useful adjustment, and about 6 months to make a full adjustment. I live in Denver, and the newspaper here and an interesting article a few years ago about how the ski industry in the Western US tries to hide just how many people have altitude sickness issues and end up in emergency rooms. They fly into Denver at @6200 feet and then fly puddle-jumpers to the ski resorts, and then try to go skiiing the next day at 9,000 feet without taking any time to acclimate.
My mother is diabetic and I can always tell when her insulin is too high because she seems drunk.
Morgan could have a bout of acidosis (possibly) metabolic. His electrolytes were probably unstable. I’m just speculating; however with his health problems, I wouldn’t be surprised.
@Audrey, when I was an undergrad, one of my classmates seemed drunk and incoherent. My professor called for medical help. It turned out to be a diabetes complication and he didn’t even know he had diabetes.