Jerry Lewis Rushed To Hospital

Jerry Lewis Rushed To Hospital

Jerry Lewis was rushed to the hospital Tuesday night after collapsing due to low blood pressure. The singer's health scare took place just before he was about to take the stage in front of hundreds at an event at the Waldorf Astoria, reports the New York Post.

The 86-year-old comedian was scheduled to receive the Applause Award at the at the Friars Club, and was booked to present Tom Cruise with the Friars Club Entertainment Icon Award.

News that Lewis had fallen ill shortly before the event was confirmed by Chairman of the Friars Foundation Ambassador Joseph Zappala, who told the crowd the unfortunate news.

When Cruise accepted the award later that night he told the crowd, "I am sorry Jerry couldn't be here tonight, but I know he is going to be fine."

"Jerry Lewis was so sorry to miss the Icon Award presentation to Tom Cruise last night, but is feeling much better today, and is back at his hotel and thanks everyone for their good wishes," he said in a statement.

Publicist Candi Cazau in Las Vegas told the Associated Press that colleagues have told her Lewis is fine. She says he is very busy and simply forgot to eat or drink and his blood sugar level took a dive.

Besides the Friars event, Cazau says Lewis is beginning three weeks of rehearsals on "The Nutty Professor," which is scheduled to open shortly in Nashville, Tenn.

According to the Daily Mail, Lewis has been plagued with health problems for years. In 1982 he was declared clinically dead after a heart attack, 10 years later he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and five years later he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

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