Billy Porter Shares Update After Battle With Sepsis

Billy Porter said he is recovering after a life-threatening battle with sepsis that left him hospitalized for weeks this fall and forced him to exit Broadway's "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club" before the production's scheduled closing.

The Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award winner shared the update in an Instagram video posted Wednesday, telling followers that he was diagnosed with urosepsis and has spent the past four months navigating what he described as a difficult and ongoing recovery.

"Some of you may or may not know that I was in the hospital very ill this fall with urosepsis," he said. "It was not easy."

"It's been a very, very challenging four months. And I want everybody to know that I am on the road to a full recovery. I'm not there yet, but I'm on the road to that."

He opened the video by offering holiday greetings to his fans before turning to his health. Porter became visibly emotional as he thanked supporters for their messages and encouragement throughout his illness.

"I wanted to thank everybody for your prayers and your love and sending me all the vibes. I felt every single one of them," he said.

"And I know that I'm alive today because of my fans."

In the caption accompanying the post, Porter wrote, "She's ALIVE!!! Proof of life, PTL!!!"

Porter's health crisis was first revealed in early September when "Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club" producer Adam Speers announced that the actor would be stepping away from the Broadway revival due to a "serious case of sepsis."

At the same time, producers confirmed that the show would close earlier than planned. The production had originally been scheduled to run through Oct. 19 but instead ended on Sept. 21.

"It is with a heavy heart that we have made the painful decision to end our Broadway run on September 21," Speers said in a statement to Deadline at the time.

"On behalf of all the producers, we're so honored to have been able to bring this version of John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff's important masterpiece, Cabaret, to New York and to have opened the doors to our own Kit Kat Club for the year and a half we have been here."

Following Porter's departure, the role of the Emcee was taken over by alternates Marty Lauter and David Merino for the remainder of the Broadway engagement.

Before leaving the production, Porter had spoken about the deeply personal nature of his interpretation of the Emcee, explaining that he drew on his own experiences as a Black man.

"For my character, he flees the Jim Crow South to go to Europe, thinking he's going to be safe, only to find there's no safety there or anywhere," Porter told Broadway Direct earlier this year. "That's my journey."

Though his Broadway run ended early, Porter said he remains grateful for the experience and reflected fondly on his time with "Cabaret," including his earlier work in London.

"Making my West End debut was magical," he said. "I'm so grateful that I'm getting to do something that's so important right now."

Porter added, "It was a magical experience. I love London."

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