Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley Speaks out Amid Serious Pneumonia Battle

Update, Sept. 23, 6:59 p.m. ET: Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 has spoken out with a medical update. The rockstar was hospitalized earlier in September for pneumonia. While Whibley is now home, he is still experiencing serious, concerning symptoms. He expects to be dealing with this illness for a few more weeks. 

“I wanted to take a min to say thank you to everyone for so much love and support,” Whibley wrote via Instagram on Tuesday. “Although I’m not out of the woods of this pneumonia yet and have been told to be prepared for a bit of roller coaster sickness over the next couple of weeks, I’m staying positive and doing my best to get through all of this. I’m still bed ridden, having a hard time breathing, tight chest pains and some pretty wild fever dreams, that I guess are keeping this whole thing somewhat entertaining. I’m in the best hands and am on the right medicine. 

Whibley has hopes of bouncing back quickly. He intends to perform with Sum 41 during their commitments for the music festival When We Were Young between Oct. 20 and 22. “I plan on being my absolute best for When We Were Young next month,” he wrote. “That’s my goal. Thank you, so much love.”

Original Story, Sept. 16, 9:59 a.m. ET: Just a couple weeks removed from Sum 41’s tour with The Offspring and Simple Plan, singer Deryck Whibley is facing a medical crisis. The singer, who provides lead vocals on hits like “In Too Deep” and “Fat Lip,” is currently hospitalized with pneumonia. This update comes from Whibley’s wife, Ariana Cooper Whibley, who notes there are major fears about how Whibley’s heart will hold up against the illness.

“Deryck and I were suppose to be in Chicago right now, celebrating our eight year wedding anniversary but the universe had a different plan for us,” she wrote. “We spent the entire night in the ER and will now be spending the next few days here in the hospital as he fights through pneumonia. The scariest part is that there is a lot of strain on his heart and they are telling us that there is a possibility of heart failure.

“This is obviously not our first time in a situation like this but it brings back a lot of really difficult memories seeing him back in a hospital bed connected to wires and IVs. I know how strong he is because I have witnessed what he has been able to overcome but that doesn’t make it any easier to see. I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated but if you could keep him in your heart over the next few days, we could really use it.”

Whibley, age 43, has not commented on this situation, nor have his Sum 41 bandmates. Cooper’s update came on Friday afternoon, with no updates on Whibley’s status since.

With Deryck Whibley on vocals, Sum 41 was one of the most popular rock acts in the 2000s, with a run of hit albums, including 2001’s All Killer, No Filler (“Fat Lip,” “In Too Deep”), 2002’s Does This Look Infected? (“The Hell Song,” “Still Waiting”), 2004’s Chuck (“Pieces,” “We’re All To Blame,” “Some Say”) and 2007’s Underclass Hero (“Underclass Hero,” Walking Disaster,” “With Me”). Many singles were accompanied by memorable and comedic music videos that received regular airplay on TV channels like MTV and Fuse.

Sum 41 also made plenty of headlines outside of the music itself. The band was plagued with lineup changes throughout its history, though Whibley was the one constant. Whibley made headlines for dating Paris Hilton in the 2000s before going on to marry Avril Lavigne in 2006. However, the music power couple divorced in 2009 (finalized in 2010). Whibley also has faced numerous health challenges over the years, including physical injuries, substance abuse and a 2014 hospitalization for liver and kidney damage.

Whibley married Ariana, a model, in 2015. The couple has two children together. One child is three years old, while the other is less than a year old.

Sum 41 is preparing to wrap up as a band, with a farewell tour planned for 2024. Their latest show came at Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts on Sept. 3. The band is next set to play shows between Oct. 20 and 22 as part of the When We Were Young music festival in Las Vegas.

Update, Sept. 18, 6:59 p.m. ET: As Sum 41 fans fear for his well-being, Derrick Whibley is showing signs of improvement. After the rockstar was hospitalized with pneumonia last week, Whibley’s wife, Ariana Cooper Whibley, says he has been discharged from hospital care. He is being cared for at home now that fears over the possibility of heart failure have subsided.

“I’m very happy to be giving this update,” Ariana wrote via Instagram on Saturday afternoon. “Deryck was discharged after responding so well to his treatments. He is now under the care of his mother who is a registered nurse and myself. The pressure and strain on his heart and lungs has improved and he is able to breath without as much pain.

“I can’t tell you how truly grateful we are for the community around us. We knew we had support but the outpouring of love for our family has been absolutely overwhelming and we can’t begin to say how much it has meant to us and helped us stay positive through this.”