Billy Porter's Broadway Return Cut Short Due To Serious Health Scare

Billy Porter is facing another health crisis four years after reflecting on the most tumultuous time in his life. 

Due to health complications, the Broadway icon will not be completing his stint on "Cabaret" at the Kit Kat Club. Showrunners confirmed the news on Sunday, September 7, revealing doctors had advised the entertainer to rest.

Billy Porter's health scare comes two years after separating from his longtime spouse, Adam Smith. The same-sex couple were married for six years and did not welcome any children before their 2023 split.

According to the Kit Kat Club's announcement on X, Porter's days as Emcee on the Broadway revival of "Cabaret" have ended. They explained the actor could not complete his stint on the show "due to a serious case of sepsis."

The show was slated to end on October 21; however, Porter's absence has pushed the final performance to September 21. "His doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery, but have advised him to maintain a restful schedule," the producers' message read.

They added that Porter would be replaced by Marty Lauter and David Merino, who will perform the iconic role for the final two weeks, respectively. Naturally, the news broke fans' hearts, but they understood the entertainer needed to prioritize his health, given his condition.

Porter's sepsis update came four years after he reflected on the most tumultuous time of his life in an emotional interview. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, he revealed he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in February 2007.

A month later, Porter signed bankruptcy papers, and by June, he was diagnosed HIV-positive. He recalled the traumatic moment, noting he was forced to visit the hospital after a pimple on his butt kept growing until it became unbearable.

Porter decided to get his usual HIV test done at the same time; however, he did not receive the news he wanted. "The doctor came back and looked at me. I was like, 'What?' He sat down, and I was like, 'No. Nooo.' And he said, 'Your test came back positive,'" he recalled.

Porter noted the news was a lot to take in because he grew up in the Pentecostal church with a very religious family, where HIV was seen as God's punishment.

He kept his mother in the dark about his diagnosis but told those he deemed worthy of knowing, as he feared the repercussions of a public announcement.

The TV personality explained that he had been struggling to build a life and a career in an industry that wasn't kind to people. "It would just be another way for people to discriminate against me in an already discriminatory profession," he said about his HIV-positive diagnosis.

Although he stayed silent for years, Porter tried to raise awareness about his condition and change the negative perception surrounding it through the "Pose" series. He played the HIV-positive character Pray Tell on the show, noting he could say everything he ever wanted to share through the role.

Porter and his longtime husband, Smith, separated two years after his emotional confession. The Blast shared that they announced their breakup in July 2023, with a rep for the actor claiming the split "was an amicable and mutual one that was made after much consideration."

Three months later, Porter attended a cancer charity event at Cipriani Wall Street and told reporters he had rejoined the dating pool. He claimed he was "dating around;" however, he wasn't going out of his way to find a new partner.

"They got to peep me. They got to take care of me, honey," Porter declared. He echoed similar sentiments in August, claiming he was back on the market and looking for "an English huzzzband." He was married to Smith for six years, tying the knot in January 2017.

The same year his marriage to Smith ended, The Blast shared that Porter had clashed with Anna Wintour over Vogue's fashion choices. The drama began after Harry Styles graced the magazine's cover in a dress, promoting gender fluidity.

Porter believed Styles made the cover because he was white and straight, allowing Vogue to promote itself using the non-binary movement without "having to sacrifice anything." He slammed their actions and bluntly called Wintour "a b-tch."

Sources claimed his words earned him a ban from the prestigious Met Gala, noting his status as a fashion sensation did not stop several designers from turning their backs on him. They noted these influential figures supported Wintour, who had a higher reputation.