Overview
- Sandra Lee, known as Dr. Pimple Popper, disclosed Tuesday in a People interview that she had an on‑set ischemic stroke in November 2025 during Season 2 filming.
- An ER MRI confirmed the stroke after symptoms that began as sweating progressed overnight to left‑side weakness and slurred speech.
- Production paused for about two months while she completed physical and occupational therapy to relearn basic tasks and rebuild hand control.
- She returned to work in January 2026 and says she is pretty much back to normal, though she notes subtle speech changes, weaker grip in her left hand, and continued use of blood thinners with home therapy.
- Her neurologist cites high blood pressure as the top risk and reports about a 15% rise in strokes among adults 45 to 64, and a trailer had hinted at a medical emergency ahead of the April 20 Lifetime premiere.