How Kesha ‘Almost Died’ From a Medical Complication

Kesha revealed that she had a startling near-death experience and was recently diagnosed with a disorder that affects her immune system.

In a new interview with SELF, the “Praying” singer revealed that she nearly died in January after a concert in the Bahamas for New Year’s Eve. She felt extremely weak after her performance and was unable to walk.

After being sent to a local hospital, doctors discovered that she was experiencing a complication from her egg-freezing procedure, which was completed days prior to the show. She ended up spending nine days in the hospital, but that was just the beginning of her recovery.

“I finally feel recovered, but it took a couple [of] months,” she shared. “It was horrifying.”

Kesha explained that her complication was in part, due to her immunocompromised state. In the interview, she revealed that she was diagnosed with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) in 2022. The diagnosis means that she is at “an especially high risk of developing recurrent, and potentially serious, infections.”

“I just never wanted to be the whiny, privileged girl,” Kesha explained of the reason to not speak about her diagnosis initially. “Also, my image had been that of going out and having fun.”

According to Mayo Clinic, the disorder causes repeat infections in addition to having an increased risk of digestive disorders, autoimmune disorders, blood disorders and cancer. It typically is diagnosed in adults with the symptoms varying from person to person. For Kesha, weakness and sluggishness are parts of her everyday life.

“I learned after my diagnosis that sleep is the most important thing. I took that for granted for, God, about 29, 30 years. I feel like I’m just playing catch-up on my teens and twenties, still. But I try to get as much sleep as possible, and I have to protect that fiercely,” she shared.