Sandra Bernhard said she underwent open-heart surgery
The performer said her procedure was scheduled in advance and was not due to a medical emergency
She later faked a heart attack on stage and joked that it’s her “new party trick”
Sandra Bernhard revealed she recently had open-heart surgery.
On Tuesday, April 29, the actress, singer and comedian took the stage for the opening night of her debut residency at New York City’s Café Carlyle. During the show, the 69-year-old performer gave an update on her health, sharing that she recently underwent open-heart surgery.
“It was a planned surgery, it wasn’t that dramatic,” the Roseanne star clarified before remembering other patients in the hospital who were dealing with worse health emergencies. “This s— crazy, I’m gonna pull through and get the f— out of here.”
Related: Bret Baier’s 16-Year-Old Son Paul Recovering After Emergency Open-Heart Surgery: ‘We Got Lucky’ (Exclusive)
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Sandra Bernhard at Netflix’s “Survival Of The Thickest” Season 2 Premiere in March 2025
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Although Bernhard didn’t discuss what health problems led to her needing the surgery, she joked about having concerns of possible scarring before going in.
“I know we’re just minutes away from being wheeled into the operating room, but I’m an actress, I’m a performer,” she told her doctor, Billboard reports. “Do I need to bring in a plastic surgeon? They said, ‘We’ll make it work, we’ll make it beautiful.’ … And here I am.”
Bernhard continued the show without further mention of her health. However, the Will and Grace alum later returned to the subject, grasping her chest and slumping over to fake a heart attack on stage.
“That’s a new party trick,” she quipped.
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