American actor and rapper Donald Glover has revealed he suffered a stroke last year, which led to the cancellation of his 2024 world tour.
Glover, who performs under the name Childish Gambino, disclosed the information while performing at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Donald Glover opens up about stroke and two heart surgeries at Camp Flog Gnaw festival
“I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana and I did the show anyway,” Glover said on stage. “I couldn’t really see well, so when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital and the doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke.’”
The 42-year-old began his New World tour in August 2024 but postponed it about a month later. He later cancelled the remaining dates, citing health issues.
During his performance on Saturday, Glover sat down on stage as music continued in the background, according to videos shared on social media.
He joked that he was copying fellow US actor and comedian Jamie Foxx, who suffered a stroke in 2023 that also presented as a headache at first.
Heart condition and surgeries
Glover told the crowd he felt he was letting everyone down when he first found out about the stroke. He mentioned he had promised to perform in Ireland but has not been able to.
Doctors also found a hole in his heart, which required him to have two surgeries.
“They say everybody has two lives and the second life starts when you realise you have one,” Glover said.
“You got one life, guys, and I gotta be honest, the life I’ve lived with you guys has been such a blessing,” he told fans.
Tour cancellation timeline
When Glover first postponed his world tour in September 2024, he wrote on social media that he had to focus on his “physical health for a few weeks” and urged fans to keep their tickets.
A month later, Glover announced he was cancelling the rest of the tour because of an “ailment” that required tests, surgery and “time out to heal”.
Glover is known for his music career as Childish Gambino and his acting roles in shows including Community, Atlanta, and Mr and Mrs Smith.
“As my wife says, which I love, ‘If this life is the flavour, as soon as I’m done, give me another scoop’”, Glover told the crowd on Saturday after revealing his health struggles.
