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I have a soft spot for director Kevin Smith, who stepped up in a massive way during the #metoo movement by pledging all of his earnings from Weinstein-financed projects to women’s organizations plus an additional two thousand a month. His gesture and statement was raw and heartfelt. I’ve also watched some episodes of his reality show on AMC, Comic Book Men, which follows the day-to-day operations of his comic book shop in Red Bank, New Jersey. He has a tight knit group of colleagues who are some unique characters. Unfortunately, during a taping of that show yesterday, Smith suffered a heart attack. We know this because he tweeted about it. (While he didn’t specify which show it was, THR writes that other tweets indicated it was Comic Book Men.) Here’s his tweet:
After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka “the Widow-Maker”). If I hadn’t canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would’ve died tonight. But for now, I’m still above ground! pic.twitter.com/M5gSnW9E5h
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 26, 2018
Look at that face! This story is really getting to me and I’m all choked up now. I’m so glad he’s ok. We just heard that Colin Quinn, 58, had a heart attack on Valentine’s Day. They’re both too young to go! As for Kevin’s blockage, I looked that up and apparently the LAD artery is the main coronary artery and the most important one which “supplies over half of the heart muscle with blood.” I’m so glad he’s ok and that he caught it in time to get medical attention. He’s struggled with his weight over the years (that’s not conjecture, he’s been open about it) and has lost quite a bit of weight, which does reduce risk. Hopefully he will be restored back to health soon. Here is more information about the signs of a heart attack in men and in women. It’s crucial to get medical attention right away.
photos credit: Getty and WENN
Best wishes for a full and fast recovery.
So young! Hope he fully recovers.
Gosh, how scary. Glad he’s okay, he’s far too young to go.
Holy crap. I really like him, I’m so glad he’s still here (knocking on wood furiously!) My uncle had “the widowmaker” in his late 40’s when I was very young and he did not make it. What amazes me is the cheeto monster hasn’t had one since he chain swallows junk food day and night.
Don’t get me started.
But the cheeto aside, I am so glad Smith is still here.
I bet a lot of that has to do with genetics. I just read Kevin’s father died of a massive heart attack. While Trump’s parents both lived long lives – his father was 93 and mother was 88.
Kevin’s dad was 67.
Sorry to hear that! My MIL had one and thankfully survived.
My husband and I just had our yearly physicals and my husband – who is athletic, fit and health conscious came back with very high blood pressure and cholesterol out of the blue. For him it’s all family history, sadly.
Looks like it’s time for him to change his diet.
I think he already has, due to the gastric bypass/lapband or whatever weight loss surgery he did.
but now he’s talking vegan…might be the best thing for him.
I LOVE this man and (most of) his movies. plus, he’s JERZ, like me.
Amen to whole food plant-based (vegan, but without processed foods and straight sugars)! It is the only diet which has been proven in the scientific literature to reverse heart disease.
he was taping 2 stand up shows and had the heart attack after the first one.
man I hope he is going to be ok. i am a HUGE Kevin Smith fan. He has tons of hilarious podcasts
Can you please give a link for the news that he was taping a stand up show? I read it was Comic Book Men.
In the long version of that tweet (which is on facebook) he stated that he was filming 2 standup shows.
link: https://www.facebook.com/YesThatKevinSmith/photos/a.77596326929.88348.6985046929/10155051695906930/?type=3&theater
I think his facebook indicated that it was stand up shows.
Man, I’m glad he’s okay. My uncle went through this in his 40’s and he’s still alive and doing well so I hope Kevin recovers! My husband’s uncles both are at risk for this and we’re kinda freaked because one of them (who has the higher chance of a heart attack) is relying on only diet and exercise without medical intervention like his doctor thinks he needs :/
Wow. The guy from Biggest Loser, Bob Harper, at age 51 also suffered a heart attack also last year and said he was lucky to be alive. He had it at the gym, and a couple of doctors happened to there working out, which saved him. And he’s in peak physical shape. I think there’s a family history, though.
A lot of its genetics, honestly. Some people just draw a bad hand when it comes to vascular health.
It made me sad that a lot of people used that story to say “screw trying to be healthy it doesn’t matter”. Yeah being healthy is not a guarantee of a life free from health problems but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try because the research is clear, exercise improves both the length and quality of life, staves off many diseases and is excellent for mental health issues as well.
I have a soft post for Kevin from years of watching his movies in my teens. I hope he’s doing well and recovers quickly.
For those curious: The left atrioventricular descending artery produces the majority of the bloodflow to the intraventricular septum and left ventricle, so occlusion of the artery interferes with the conduction system, effectively disrupting systemic pumping. Complete blockage of oxygen and nutrient flow to heart muscle will cause rapid necrosis – and heart muscle is incapable of regenerating itself (at least we don’t have a way to repair it *now*), which is why even surviving one heart attack can leave you vulnerable to another one. (This is called myocardial infarction – which is actually what a heart attack is. Cardiac arrest is a different issue, but one can lead to the other.) You should google some of the bypass procedures they do to reroute the flow around blocked coronary arteries when stenting won’t work. It’s pretty fascinating stuff.
“You should google some of the bypass procedures they do to reroute the flow around blocked coronary arteries when stenting won’t work.” No thank you, Veronica! I am very glad that there are people who can remain fully conscious around blood and not muttering to one’s self, but I am not one of them. I will leave that to the experts (and pray never to become one of their patients).
I’m a nurse on a cardiac floor, and its surprising how many younger folks have almost completely occluded vessels. Glad he’s okay, and got medical attention, as timing is everything with these types of events.
I’m so glad he’s okay! I love Kevin Smith. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Yes, praying for his speedy recovery! Love this dude.
This kind of story is definitely the one that terrifies me to my chubby core. Losing weight is so difficult for some people, and no matter how body positive I am – hearing something like this always hammers home the fact that extra weight can really screw you up.
It is so difficult!! I am really struggling to get rid of this latest baby weight. I’m not overweight but I don’t like it when people say weight loss is easy because it’s not!!!
So glad he is doing ok! Ive loved that guy since Clerks first came out.
Wow that is scary and I’m glad he’s ok. However I’m really not surprised unfortunately. He’s talked about his struggles with weight and having a crappy diet. He was massively overweight for years before he finally lost weight (which seriously good for him) and apparently smoked for awhile. Don’t know what his diet is like now but no doubt this heart attack is linked to his overweight/eating crappy years. Even if you lose weight and eat healthy, the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle can still catch up with you years later. Not health shaming him or skinny shaming him and it can be so hard to adopt a healthy lifestyle but this is what happens if you are unkind to your body. My dad’s former boss was also overweight and I think had a mild heart attack before he finally died of one at not a very old age (in his fifties or sixties). He refused to adopt a healthier lifestyle after his first heart attack and paid the price. Kevin seems to be living healthy so I hope he’s ok going forward.
Given his previous health history, I’m surprised he hasn’t been monitored regularly for heart issues. Because of my family history, I had a baseline EKG, echo and stress test at 40, and will have them every 3 years, probably forever. My doctor isn’t taking chances, and I’m grateful. My mom’s father died at 44, and my uncle, her brother, has had two heart attacks, his first one at 39.
Yikes! I’m 47! Thank you for posting the links to the warning signs for both men and women!
I’m glad he’s ok. I like him.
I really respect Kevin Smith. I loved how he went apesh*t at negative nellies on instagram about his daughter, her working as an actress and defended her without taking away her independence.
His work as a writer, everything. He is a truly stand up guy. I hope he recovers quickly. Heart attacks are scary AF. my mum had one when I was 19, she’s still here (i’m 32 now) but it weakened her terribly.
Kevin Smith is one of the good’uns. Get well dude.
Kevin’s response to the Weinstein horrors was above and beyond the best of any of the men in Hollywood that I saw. I truly wish him well and good health going forward.
I pray for him. God speed in his recovery.