Billy Porter has revealed a sepsis infection nearly claimed his life.
The Pose star appeared on the March 3 episode of influencer TS Madison’s “Outlaws” podcast, and discussed the illness that forced him to drop out of Cabaret on Broadway in September 2025.
Porter said a month into the show, the pain returned from a previously diagnosed kidney stone. The actor and singer went to a hospital to find out what was going on.
“I checked myself into the hospital because I’m in so much pain,” he recalled.
While Porter knew his illness was serious, doctors discovered it was much worse. The kidney stone was “trapped in [his] urethra” and he had an infection.
“When they got in there, there was so much pus, and bile, and infection behind the stone. It bubbled up, and I went into uroseptic in minutes,” he told Madison.
Urosepsis happens when the bacteria that causes urinary tract infections spreads to the bloodstream and the condition can be deadly, according to Healthline.
New York’s Kit Kat Club released a statement at the time, letting fans know Porter had exited Cabaret because he had sepsis.
Porter said he was connected to an ECMO machine, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as a type of life support.
“I was dead for three days,” the Emmy-winning star said. “I am a miracle. I’m a walking miracle.”
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