Buffy Star Nicholas Brendon Hospitalized With Cardiac Episode

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Criminal Minds actor Nicholas Brendon is recovering after being rushed to a hospital following a cardiac event. The announcement came on social media, where Brendon shared images of himself on a stretcher, and then another in a wheelchair while awaiting medical attention. The actor, best known for playing Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 1997 to 2003, has had some health scares over the years, including a similar cardiac issue following a surgery late year.

In a post to Instagram, Brendon’s team posted that the actor “is doing fine now but he had to be rushed to emergency about two weeks ago because of a cardiac incident.” They also shared updates on a number of charity auctions Brendon had posted to eBay, which have understandably been a little delayed.

You can see Brendon’s post below.

Last year, Brendon’s manager announced that he pulled out of publicity commitments because of medical issues and “immense pain.” She says that Brendon that sleeping on the concrete floor of his jail cell aggravated pre-existing back problems. He’s since experienced paralysis of the genitals and legs.

The condition is called Cauda equina syndrome. It is a condition where nerve roots in the lumbar spine become compressed. It limits movement and feeling and sometimes functions in the genitals, the bladder, and the bowel.

“Right now he is concentrating on his health. He is not doing promotion for the film,’ Fortier said. “This past week and a half, things have turned drastically worse. He is suffering from paralysis in his genitals and private parts. He has had difficulties with flying. Sadly his condition means he needs surgical intervention for his problems. I wish he was on the mend and able to promote this movie.”

Since the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Brendon has starred in a number of projects, including a run from 2007 to 2014 on Criminal Minds.

Things have been pretty rough over the past few years for Brendon; between 2015 and 2019, he was arrested at least three times — twice for alcohol-related infractions and once for domestic violence.