Billy Porter is opening up about his harrowing encounter with sepsis last year, revealing just how close he came to losing his life.
The 56-year-old actor was in the midst of his Broadway run in Cabaret in September 2025 when a routine doctor’s visit took a frightening turn. During an appearance on Outlaws with TS Madison on March 2, Porter explained that doctors discovered a serious medical issue while he was there for a “routine check.”
Porter recounted that a kidney stone had become lodged in his urethra, causing a dangerous buildup of toxic waste. “When they got in there, there was so much pus, and bile, and infection behind the stone. It bubbled up and I went uroseptic in minutes,” he shared on the podcast.
Sepsis, a severe and potentially fatal reaction to infection, can begin in the urinary tract and escalate quickly if left untreated, sometimes spreading to the kidneys, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Porter’s condition worsened to the point where he required an ECMO machine, a life-support system for patients with severe heart or lung failure. Once he stabilized, doctors discovered that his leg had developed compartment syndrome—a condition in which swelling cuts off oxygen to the muscles.
“They had to cut me open on either side of my leg while I was in a coma, from my knee to my hip, and leave it open for two days, so they could save my leg,” Porter revealed.
Reflecting on the experience, Porter said, “I was dead for three days. I am a miracle. I’m a walking miracle…I am so grateful to be here. It is such a gift.”
The ordeal has profoundly affected the actor, changing not only how he approaches life but also how he navigates his public presence.
