Just days after gracing the pink carpet at the LA premiere of Barbie, Ty Pennington found himself rushed to the hospital for a critical medical procedure.
The beloved handyman faced a close call when he experienced a medical emergency while filming in Colorado, serving as a reminder to always heed his body’s warnings.
Just last week, the charismatic carpenter from Trading Spaces and host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition attended the star-studded movie premiere, delighting his fans with images shared on his Instagram. Pennington looked dashing in a light gray suit, complemented by a matching brimmed hat and a crisp white collared shirt. The 58-year-old talent was present at the grand Barbie event to promote HGTV’s Barbie’s Dreamhouse Challenge, which kicked off on July 16th. Taking up his bright pink sledgehammer, Pennington was part of one of eight teams working to transform a house into a real-life version of Barbie’s iconic pink mansion.
“Transported to the world of @barbiethemovie last night! Thanks,” the star of Rock the Block captioned his Instagram post.
Fans and fellow celebrities showered him with compliments. One fan wrote, “Looking very smart. Can’t wait to see this challenge,” while designer Grace Mitchell, Pennington’s co-star, added, “Ty! Looking so spiffy!”
Tragically, the celebration turned into a medical ordeal only two days later when Pennington shared a series of photos, the first of which showed him lying in a hospital bed. He informed his fans that he was recuperating in the ICU after suffering from a throat abscess that had obstructed his airway, making breathing nearly impossible. “From the red carpet to the ICU…this last week has been interesting! I’m okay now, still recovering,” he wrote. Pennington went on to explain that after attending the Barbie premiere on Sunday, he flew to Colorado for filming on Monday. Early Tuesday morning, he woke up at 4 am, struggling to breathe. It turned out that the sore throat he had been experiencing for the past month was actually an abscess that had grown to a dangerous size, blocking his airway. He was quickly intubated and flown to the ICU in Denver, where he underwent surgery on Wednesday before being released.
His fans sent heartfelt messages of support, with one expressing, “Sweet and wonderful Ty, I am shocked and saddened that you were so ill. I have been following you since the olden days when you were on Trading Spaces. So glad you are on the mend. Yes, listen to your body and don’t wait so long to see a doctor.” Friends from Trading Spaces also chimed in, with forme
r host Paige Davis humorously saying, “Glad you’re not dead, you ol’ coot,” and Genevieve Gorder, known for her stunning designs, adding, “Babes!!!! I’m so happy you are okay, how terrifying.”
Brian Kleinschmidt, the developer, and a contestant on the Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge, added some light-hearted humor, saying, “Here’s to a Speedo recovery! And no, that wasn’t a typo.” He referred to a playful note written by Pennington while under the influence of medication: “Also, even through heavy sedatives, it’s good to see I was still in the right frame of mind… (pic 4).” Pennington, whose sense of humor remained intact even during the emergency, had humorously written, “I need to put on my Speedo.”
Thankfully, Pennington seems to be out of the hospital now and on the road to a steady recovery.
