Comedienne Heather McDonald is recovering after suffering a fall on stage during a live show that left her with a fractured skull.
Heather was performing at the Tempe Improv in Tempe, Arizona on Saturday when she collapsed after briefly losing consciousness, just three minutes into her comedy routine.
Heather McDonald believed to have lost consciousness due to dehydration
At the time of the incident, the 51-year-old Chelsea Lately alum’s reps told PEOPLE that Heather was “admitted to a local hospital where a comprehensive workup [was] underway.”
Heather’s rep added, “Thus far the tests have revealed no underlying medical issues that may have precipitated this event.”
Her management team added that “She may have lost consciousness because of dehydration. She was tested and does not have COVID.”
The comic’s reps noted that Heather did not consume any alcohol before or during the show and that tests performed did not indicate any underlying health issues that may have contributed to her fainting.
According to The Sun, Heather’s audience initially thought her fall might be part of her skit, but they soon realized that something serious was going on.
Luckily, an EMT nurse was in the audience and rushed on stage to administer first aid before calling for an ambulance. According to her sister-in-law, who was in the audience, Heather chose not to ride in an ambulance and had her sister-in-law drive her instead.
Heather McDonald in good spirits despite fracturing her skull in stage collapse
Heather took to her Instagram Stories after she regained consciousness in the hospital and updated her fans. “Um, so, I’m in the emergency room.”
“I’m so, so, so, so sorry. I passed out on stage. I got up, I did one joke and I felt so dizzy,” Heather told her fans, clearly stunned by what occurred.
“I’m vaxxed, double vaxxed, boosted and flu shot and shingle shot and haven’t gotten Covid and Jesus loves me most,” was Heather’s joke she began before collapsing.
Heather, who hosts a podcast called Juicy Scoop, moved her hair off her forehead to give her fans a glimpse of her eye, which hit the stage during her fall and appeared bruised and swollen.
“I cannot believe this happened. I feel so terrible that they had to tell everyone to leave and then cancel the second show at Tempe. I will be back. I’ve never, ever fainted in my life.”
Ironically, Heather’s scary ordeal occurred on the same day her former co-worker, Chelsea Handler, was hospitalized and had to cancel her own shows in Oregon.
After the incident, Heather took to Instagram to update her fans and let them know she’d be returning for upcoming shows.
“So much fun last night @tempeimprov so here’s a memory. See you tonight at 7 & 9:30 with @justinmartindale www.HeatherMcDonald.net,” Heather captioned the post, which included a pic of herself on stage.
We’re happy to hear that Heather is on the mend and we wish her well.