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Billy Porter Says He Was 'Dead for Three Days' as Sepsis Led to ECMO and Leg-Saving Surgery

The actor is newly detailing the September 2025 crisis in a podcast interview, describing how a kidney stone set off urosepsis that required extreme life support.

Overview

  • Porter shared the new details on TS Madison’s Outlaws podcast on March 2, calling himself a “walking miracle.”
  • Doctors found a kidney stone trapped in his urethra; when it was treated, infection behind the stone triggered rapid urosepsis.
  • He was placed on an ECMO machine and was clinically unresponsive for several days, which he described as being “dead for three days.”
  • Surgeons treated compartment syndrome by opening his leg from knee to hip for two days to preserve the limb.
  • The episode forced his early withdrawal from the Broadway revival of Cabaret in September 2025, and he says he remains on the road to a full recovery.