Larry King Reportedly Feeling Better After Being Hospitalized This Week

Legendary broadcaster Larry King is reportedly feeling better after spending the week of his 87th birthday in the hospital. An insider told Page Six on Wednesday that King was hospitalized for “heart issues and other things.” On Saturday, sources told the same outlet King was feeling better. He was facing a blood-flow issue and was hoping to be released on Friday. His doctors ultimately decided to keep him in the hospital for one to two more nights to keep an eye on his progress.

King has had several health issues over the years, dating back to his first major heart attack in 1987. In November 2019, King revealed he had a stroke in March 2019 and was briefly in a coma. King also had a scheduled angioplasty in April 2019, with stents inserted. After he was released from the hospital, King resumed hosting his series Politicking with Larry King for Ora TV and Hulu.

“I had what they call a slight stroke in March. Everything is back to normal, except for my left foot. I can’t walk on my left foot, so I’m walking with a walker,” King told Page Six in November 2019, just as he was preparing to celebrate his 86th birthday. “It’s making me feel old.” His doctors thought King was “going to die” in March and it was “really touch-and-go,” he said. He did not remember much of the ordeal but said he had a “sepsis infection, I had a new stent put on the heart. It’s been amazing – everyone tells me they can’t believe I made it through.”

In a February interview with PEOPLE, King said he has “less of a fear of dying” after his rough 2019, which also included his divorce from his seventh wife, Shawn Southwick King. “I’m very proud of what I do,” King told the magazine. “And I’m a good father — nothing beats parenthood. There’s an element of pinching myself every day. Look at what I’ve come through. All in all if you look at it, I’ve had a blessed life.”

King was also dealt with two tragedies less than a month apart this year. His son Andy died of a heart attack on July 28 at 65, just a weeks before daughter Chaia died at 51 following a battle with lung cancer. After the news broke, King said his children were “good and kind souls” who will be “greatly missed” by their family. Andy was the son of King’s third wife, Alene Akins, whom King adopted. Chaia was born in 1969, during King’s second marriage to Akins.

“Losing them feels so out of order. No parent should have to bury a child,” King wrote in August. “My family and I thank you for your outpouring of kind sentiments and well wishes. In this moment, we need a little time and privacy to heal. I thank you for respecting that.”