Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan had to leave Madison Square Garden in a wheelchair during the New York Knicks’ game against the Miami Heat on Monday night after falling ill. The incident quickly became a topic of concern as videos showing Morgan holding a towel to his nose went viral, sparking worries among fans.
The following morning, Morgan took to Instagram to assure his followers that he was “okay.” The 30 Rock star revealed that food poisoning was the cause of his sudden illness and thanked everyone for their support. “Thank you for all your concern! I’m doing ok now, and doctors say it was food poisoning. Appreciate my MSG family for taking such good care of me and I need to shout out the crew that had to clean that up. Appreciate you! More importantly, the Knicks are now 1-0 when I throw up on the court, so maybe I’ll have to break it out again in the playoffs #goknicks,” Morgan wrote, offering a lighthearted take on the situation.
The incident took place during the third quarter of the game, which was paused for about 10 minutes to clean the floor. In viral videos, Morgan appeared to be dealing with a nosebleed, holding a towel to his face as he was escorted off the court.
A representative for Madison Square Garden later commented, “We hope Tracy feels better soon and look forward to seeing him back courtside.” Morgan, a lifelong Knicks fan, has faced various health challenges throughout his life, including diabetes and a kidney transplant in 2010. In 2014, he survived a severe car accident that left him in a coma for two weeks and required months of recovery. The crash, caused by a Walmart truck, also tragically killed his friend and mentor, James McNair.
On the 10th anniversary of the accident, Morgan reflected on the event in an emotional message to People, saying, “I want to say to everyone who was in the van with me that night I love you, and we miss you, Uncle Jimmy Mac and God bless your family. And to the driver that night and his family, me and my comrades forgive you.”