Jeannie Mai has been diagnosed with Epiglottitis. The 41-year-old co-host of “The Real” and sideline reporter on “Holey Moley” has been forced to withdraw from Season 29 of “Dancing with the Stars.”
In a statement to KABC, Mai said, “It saddens me that I will not be able to continue with the competition on DWTS. My doctors discovered a health concern with my throat which requires immediate attention and surgery. I am heartbroken that my DWTS journey has to end here. The last several weeks have been an amazing learning experience. I have pushed myself to new limits physically and mentally, and I am so proud of how far we’ve come. I can’t thank my partner Brandon enough for being so supportive and believing in me. I also want to thank MAI fans who voted every week and I wish everyone else in the competition the best of luck!”
Epiglottitis is potentially life-threatening and occurs when the tissue protecting the windpipe becomes inflamed.
Fortunately Jeannie Mai made it out of surgery. In her latest update she wrote on her Instagram saying, “I would never imagine ever having to write this, but I made it safely out of my emergency surgery. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Nasseri who identified my potentially life-threatening condition. What simply started as a sore throat had unbeknownst to me become a dangerous infection that already closed at least 60% of my airway and resulted in a throat abscess that spread in a matter of 3 days.Although I am grateful to be recovering safely, I can’t lie… I am devastated by the fact that my journey with #DWTS will end this way 🥺😞 Dancing on this show has been the most exhilarating adventure. I’ve gained both beautiful friendships and loving supporters. To my partner, @Brandonarmstrong, I’m sorry you don’t get to make fun of my moves anymore while I share my life gems on how to be a grown up🤭🤪 Love u so much lil bro, and will ALWAYS cherish the memories we made!!! And more good news? My thumbs still work hunnay, so I can spread my 20 votes across these final 8 superstar teams!!! Please everyone, TONIGHT watch for your fave #DWTS couple killen it in the ballroom cuz #TeamDreamofJeannie, we gotta share our love and VOTE!!!”
