UPDATED: Jeremy Piven Quits Broadway, "Extreme Mercury Toxicity"

***Alarming update from Piven's doctor below about his high mercury toxicity, the symptoms and the possible causes***

From Variety:

Jeremy Piven will abruptly end his run in Broadway's "Speed-the-Plow," after missing Tuesday evening's performance and a Wednesday matinee.

Piven has informed the producers that he hasn't been feeling well and that the condition is attributable to a high mercury count.

The show's producers weren't returning calls, but Daily Variety reached out to David Mamet, who wrote the showbiz satire and seemed skeptical of the reasons for Piven's departure.
More than one option

"I talked to Jeremy on the phone, and he told me that he discovered that he had a very high level of mercury," Mamet said. "So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer."

"Entertainment Tonight" talked to Piven's doctor and will report on air:

Dr. Carlon Colker, a doctor who has been treating the SAG award nominee and Emmy award-winner, tells ET that Jeremy is disappointed that members of the production staff of 'Speed-the-Plow' and other members of the entertainment community have not rallied behind him during this health crisis.

The doctor says that Jeremy is suffering from extreme mercury toxicity. Colker tells ET that a major symptom of mercury poisoning is extreme fatigue. In addition, Jeremy began experiencing neuro-muscular dysfunction late last week, which led to extreme difficulty in lifting his arms and legs. Then, this past Sunday, he began feeling dizzy. Now, the doctors have ordered enforced rest. Jeremy spent three days in the hospital recently and the doctor tells us exclusively that he is no longer in New York.

Colker tells ET that Jeremy has been an avid sushi eater for many years, regularly eating sushi twice in one day. He notes that Jeremy has also taken certain Chinese herbs, and that, in combination with the frequent sushi consumption, could have led to these elevated mercury levels. He informs us that a test revealed that Jeremy had the highest level of mercury that he has ever seen, which amounts to six times a healthy amount of mercury, in his system.

More on the symptoms and causes of a High Mercury Count

Comments

[jick]

More like Extreme Coke Toxicity. Nice idea, Piven's Attorney.

[PuddyKatz]

Piven is a hot mess!

[Tulka2]

Here's a bit of true gossip. Did you know Previn's charactor on Entorage is based on a real person and that agent is Rom Emanual's brother. I understand Mrs. Emanual of Chicago had three boys. One is the super-charged Hollywood agent, one is Chief of Staff for the President Elect, and one is a surgeon.... cardiac? That would fit. Would like to see Mrs. Emanual interviewed, eh? Bet she has some opinions.

[Tulka2]

Gaw, i need an editor.

[blah7]

Been done: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E4D61631F936A25755C0A961958260&scp=3&sq=%22brothers%20emanuel%22&st=cse

His other brother is an oncologist and now is pretty high up at the NIH.

[JoTexasBorderCountry]

I agree with Anastasia and others who have commented about how horrible it is to be ill and be disbelieved--as bad as being a victim of rape or intimate partner violence and being disbelieved when one finds the courage to dare and report (or try to escape). As a heart patient, until this article, I honestly believed that fish of any kind was one of the best things I could eat to keep cholesterol low, improve heart health, etc. I had no idea that it could actually poison me with mercury content, so I am grateful for the information.

Neither do I believe we should be placing value judgments on Jeremy Piven because of what he eats or doesn't eat (and how do we know what is in his bank account? If judging a person based upon a perceived level of poverty is unfair, why should a person be judged for being wealthy, unless they've done something immoral or unethical to become wealthy? Come on!) No one likes being judged. I can't imagine Piven would have eaten so much sushi if he'd known it would harm him. It is very discouraging to feel sick! I hope Jeremy gets to feeling better soon and is able to resume his acting career!

[Tulka2]

People posting here are not writing "get well" notes to the sick or sympathy cards to the grieving. This space is a wonderful exchange of ideas and anonomous at that.

[JoandeV]

There is room for the exchange of ideas that include talking about a man's disease and how disheartening it feels to not be believed.

I applaud JoTexasBor­derCountry­'s comments. I've had personal experience with a disease that was not visibly manifested, and so was not believed. I'm also an industrial hygienist so I can appreciate the classic toxicological effects of mercury poisoning.

I wish Mr. Previn a speedy recovery.

[repugnicansfearme]

Lesson to parents: no sushi for kids. If you want to look cool and be seen eating sushi, go for it.

[alifilee]

i would never eat sushi, bad things happen with raw fish, etc.
why don't people believe piven, how cynical can people be?

[suomynona]

Wait a minute. I've had sushi the last 12 days in a row.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suomynona/sets/72157611102814415/

I guess I better make an appointment with my doctor.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

You better stop eating it. Mercury poisoning is extremely serious. No food consumption is worth risking your health.

[octo]

Most of the recent high mercury levels are coming from coal combustion in power generation. It goes into the atmosphere and washes down with rain into the oceans. It then percolates up the food chain. Read Tim Flannery. China is building a new coal-fired power station every week.

[Tulka2]

Hello. There are no "healthy" levels of mercury. Sushi twice a day for awhile would certainly get you extremely toxic.

In the 19th century, there was little infrastucture for clean water and proper sewage in big cities. Rich people put gates around themselves and thought they were safe from cholera, yellow fever and just the ordinary diarhea that carried off so many city poor. It was when these diseases began to strike inside the big houses that the light began to dawn in the rich that they too would suffer without infrastructure. Queen Victoria's husband, Albert died of yellow fever in Buckingham palace....for instance. The world's rich agreed to be taxed to support clean water and safe sewage disposal as soon as germs were proved to affect themselves and their children.

Do you see the connection between mercury in sushi and the "time before germs"? If the rich think there will be a place to hide as the world falls apart, it begins to be obvious there is no place to hide.

[karinova]

Interesting comment.

When I mentioned this to my boyfriend, his immediate reaction was, "Huh. I guess the FDA never expected anyone to be able to afford toro twice a day, every day, for years."

[RJII]

funny. those little pieces are expensive, especially if you're really hungry.

[SiberianRat]

It helps though to be a vegetarian--the only animal product i eat is eggs (hard-boiled or omelet), and even though it is indeed possible to get poisons and parasites from veggies, I find I have it far less often than friends who eat meat & dairy. Maybe he should switch to the avocado rolls.

[StephenJK]

I eat what normal humans have eaten for millenia.


Everything.

[BannedInBoston]

For a minute, I thought that was the name of the play. And then I thought, hmmmmmmm, that MIGHT make a good name for a play....

[L double E]

i love sushi, there is nothing like raw fish. for all those who keep attacking sushi, let's keep in mind that even if it were cooked, he would still be exposed to the mercury. in fact if you ate a can of tuna fish a day, every day, you would probably suffer from mercury poisoning. let's thank all those coal plants out there and the lax pollution standards that have boosted mercury in our environment and thusly have contributed to more cases of adult onset diabetes. hurray!! once again thanks king george.

[StephenJK]

Three cheers for the love of money and EFF everything and everyone else!

Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Hip, Hip, Hooray!

[wendynyc]

When are we going to support organic farming and promote environmental care in all the products we purchase? It is important to let our pocketbooks do the talking.

Irresponsible corporations that are consistently polluting our environment need to be boycotted.

Please save our whales from over fishing - Greenpeace is reporting that the Japanese killed 551 whales this year alone!

[lost in az]

I know a lot of people are skeptical as to wether or not Jeremy's mercury level is so alarming as his "doctor" has reported, and that he's mostly using that as an excuse to get out of his "Speed-the-Plow" contract. But I don't see things that way. Though Jeremy will no longer perform on stage, at least he has "performed" a great public service in making everyone aware of the dangers of sushi. I have never eaten sushi and now I will never eat sushi for sure.

[StephenJK]

LOL

No the real moral of the story Jeremy Piven provides is........

MODERATION in all things.

[zoozey]

Poor Jeremy! That is really sad. I hope his co-workers realize how serious it is and get with him!

Now, I know I will sound provincial, but for the life of me, I do not understand the sushi craze. There is always something happening where sushi is concerned. And the same folks who would go balistic over beef at a fast food restaurant having e-coli, do not seem the least bit concerned over the uncooked meat that has caused sickness (yes, even death) from eating sushi.

Please don't yell at me. Maybe I am uninformed, but please someone in the know, please tell me why it is considered ok to eat uncooked fish?

[StephenJK]

"please tell me why it is considered ok to eat uncooked fish?"

Because people have been doing it for centuries all over the world. Only people who eat it twice a day for years on end have problems with heavy metal toxicity. The rest of the world who practice moderation dont have a problem with it. Only morons like Jeremy Piven.

[sawdustinhershoes]

Then, by logic, the people all around the world who eat a diet based mainly on fish, should have as high a mercury levels as Mr. Piven and be experiencing the same symptoms. Mercury is concentrated in the fat of fish. Perhaps Jeremy concentrated on eating particularly fatty fish?

Maybe the source of his sushi is a particulurly polluted waterbody? I know mercury is a huge problem worldwide, but many people on this planet eat nothing but fish. I imagine they all have elevated mercury levels, but Jeremy's are so high as to cause severe sysptoms, as in acute mercury poisoning. I believe he gets his fish from the wrong place and eats too much of a particular type.

[GretaR]

On the subject of mercury, remember that fluorescent light "bulbs" contain mercury, so they should be disposed of properly*. NEVER throw them in the trash and NEVER intentionally break them. If one should accidentally break, step back immediately and do not inhale. Ventilate the area immediately.

* All Home Depot stores recycle fluorescent "bulbs", including CFLs.

[cucumber]

That's good to promote. Unfortunately most people are lazy and will just throw them in the trash. I lived in an apartment once with recycling right next to the trash bins. I would still see empty plastic water bottles and unbroken-down cardboard boxes sitting on top of the trash all the time, when if people had taken one step, they could have recycled them!

[sheila]

they might have left the bottles out for the homeless neighbors, like we do. many, but not all, recyclables, have redemption values and/or can earn money for enterprising dumpster divers. we choose to spare our homeless neighbors the effort, danger and indignity of digging through our trash for these gems, and instead set them next to the dumpster. all the no-cash-value recyclables go into the recycling bin...

[linaya]

Stop eating fish, especially big fish and fish that comes from China! I have eliminated fish from my diet, it's just not worth the risk.

Sushi, especially blue fin tuna sushi, is very high in mercury.

We are poisoning our planet, life on this planet, and even our food supplies. Pretty soon, thanks to coal plants, toxic runoffs, acid rain, etc., nothing will be OK to eat.

Coal plants emit tons of mercury every week.

Get well soon Jeremy!

[melakfilms]

"Soylent Green IS PEOPLE!!!"

[lost in az]

That is a great movie! But it makes me want to throw up when I think about it. : |

[Tulka2]

The top predators have the most toxic flesh. Stop counting on the future of soylent green if you want to eat healthy. LOL