In an emotional return to the stage, Donald Glover has finally disclosed the serious health scare that led to the sudden cancellation of his Childish Gambino tour last year.
The Shocking Revelation
The 42-year-old multi-talented actor and musician made the heartfelt confession during his performance at Tyler, the Creator's Camp Flog Knaw Carnival on Saturday night at Dodgers Stadium. He revealed to the audience that he suffered a stroke midway through his New World Tour.
'I was having lots of fun, really loving seeing you guys out there, and I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana,' Glover told the captivated crowd. 'I did the show anyway. I couldn't really see well, so when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital, and the doctor was like, "You had a stroke."'
Medical Complications and Recovery Journey
Displaying his characteristic humour despite the serious nature of his health battle, Glover lightened the moment by referencing Jamie Foxx's own health scare from 2023. 'And the first thing I thought was like, 'Oh, here I am still copying Jamie Foxx',' he joked.
After a brief pause, he shared his genuine initial reaction: 'That's really like the second thing. The first thing was like, "I'm letting everybody down."'
The medical issues didn't stop with the stroke. Glover described a cascade of further health problems that followed. 'I've broken my foot,' he recalled. 'I always promise Ireland I'm gonna be there, and I still haven't been, and they found a hole in my heart, so I had to do surgery, and then I had to have another surgery.'
A New Perspective on Life
Despite the severity of his health struggles, Glover told fans the experience has given him a renewed appreciation for both life and performing.
'They say everybody has two lives, and the second life starts when you realize you have one,' he shared philosophically. 'You got one life, guys. And I gotta be honest, the life I've lived with you guys has been such a blessing. I love singing and performing for you guys.'
He concluded with an uplifting message for his supporters: 'You should be living your life how you want because if we have to do this again, it can only get better.'
The health crisis unfolded last October when Glover was just 18 shows into the North American leg of his New World Tour. He was originally scheduled to perform more than 50 dates before withdrawing for undisclosed health reasons.
At the time, he informed fans in a statement: 'After my show in New Orleans, I went to the hospital in Houston to make sure of an ailment that had become apparent. It became clear I would not perform that night.'
He added, 'After more tests, I could not perform the rest of the U.S. tour in the time asked. As of now I have surgery scheduled and need time out to heal. My path to recovery is something I need to confront seriously.'
The tour marked what Glover has described as the final chapter of his Childish Gambino persona, coinciding with his latest album Bando Stone and the New World.
Beyond his musical career, Glover continues to work as a writer and actor. He created and starred in the critically acclaimed FX drama Atlanta, which concluded with its fourth season in November 2022. Last year he appeared alongside Maya Erskine in Amazon Prime's Mr. and Mrs. Smith series.
In more personal news, Glover married his longtime partner Michelle White in January 2024. The couple share three sons: Legend, Drake, and Donald.
