Gerrard Kaonga
Fans have been holding their breath since hearing William Shatner was rushed to the hospital earlier this week.
Shatner is one of the most iconic individuals in TV history, and has a special place in many a Star Trek fans' heart.
So news of an apparent medical emergency on Wednesday, 24 September, left many fans of the 94-year-old worried.
The fear that something had happened to the star is likely tied to Shatner opening up about his health and being diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer, last year.
Advert
Speaking in September at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, he said: “I’m breezing along looking good and feeling good, and I noticed a lump on the side of my right ear.
“I went to my family doctor, who said the parotid gland was probably jammed up, and to just massage it and it will go away.”
He noted that he went to a different doctor a month later and was given very different news.
He continued: “I went and had [the lump] taken out. It was melanoma, stage 4. They said if this [treatment] they used did not work, I had about 5 months.”
However, in regard to being rushed to hospital, information began to trickle out on social media, and we learned that the reason for his hospital visit was due to him suffering an issue with his blood sugar.
Shatner then took to X, formerly Twitter, to insist he was perfectly fine.
He even joked that ‘rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.’
He added: “I over indulged. I thank you all for caring but I’m perfectly fine. I keep telling you all: don’t trust tabloids or AI!”
In a follow-up, Shatner continued to make light of his hospital trip and highlighted an upcoming appearance at a convention.
He said: “Salt Lakers! I’ll be at #FanX in Salt Lake City tomorrow and Saturday! Better come see me before another tabloid tries to kill me off!”
This was a great relief to fans who took to Shatner’s comment section.
One fan wrote: “Good to hear from you! Yes we where worried. We still want you here on earth for a bit longer.”
Another added: “Full recovery Captain, at Warp Speed. That's an order!”
A third wrote: “I'm sending some extra love to you today, Captain! No matter how else my day goes, it is better because I know you're alright.”
With another simply going: “Oh Captain, my Captain.”