Kevin Smith took to Facebook Live on Tuesday, February 27, to share an update on his health after he suffered a near-fatal heart attack two nights earlier at a comedy club in Glendale, California.
In the 19-minute video, the filmmaker, 47, spoke to his fans from a hospital bed and recounted the minutes leading up to the massive scare, which he initially thought was a reaction to drinking bad milk.
“I went and found a couch and I laid down on the couch … and I couldn’t get comfortable, which is weird for me. I can get comfortable anywhere,” he recalled. “And then I started feeling pressure on my chest, but not like, you know, ‘There’s an elephant on my chest!’ I just couldn’t catch my breath. Honestly, I was never really in pain. … I never in a million years thought it was [a] heart attack.”
When Smith arrived at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, he faced another issue. “My biggest fear in life: Death, No. 1. No 2: People seeing my d–k,” he joked. “I’ve gone out of my way my whole life to not let my d–k be f–king seen. Never wanted to go to a hospital or a doctor for that very reason. Don’t want to be judged, obviously small.”
The Clerks director’s doctor put in a stent after finding that his left anterior descending (LAD) artery was “100 percent blocked,” Smith said. “And bam, here I am. Dude literally saved my life.”
Smith then gave a shout-out to Chris Pratt, who sent his well wishes via Twitter. “Poor Chris Pratt, one of my favorite actors on the planet, f–king put up a nice tweet where he’s just like, ‘Hey, man, I don’t know you that much but I love Clerks and I’m praying for you,’” the comedian explained. “Apparently some people were like, ‘F–k your prayers’ and attacked him. … Please don’t fight over stuff like that. It’s a waste of time. Whether you’re religious or not, someone saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ it’s good intentions.”
After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka “the Widow-Maker”). If I hadn’t canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would’ve died tonight. But for now, I’m still above ground! pic.twitter.com/M5gSnW9E5h
— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) February 26, 2018
Smith ended his Facebook Live session with an emotional message for his loved ones. “I didn’t want to die — don’t get me wrong — but I was like, ‘Well, if the ferryman comes tonight, I got to pay him,’” he said. “What a ride it’s been. What an incredible f–king ride.”