Celebrities and famous people with kidney stones
Peter Andre – was forced to postpone two shows at Plymouth Pavilions in 2010 because of a kidney stone.
Tim Burton. In 2011, Tim Burton missed the British Independent Film Awards because he was suffering from kidney stones. His then partner Helena Bonham Carter let the crowd at the event know why Burton was absent.
Oliver Cromwell. The English military and political leader Oliver Cromwell may have suffered from kidney stones during the 1650s. His doctor said that, “being much troubled with the stone, he used sometimes to swill down several sorts of liquor, and then stir his body by some violent motion … that by such agitation he might disburden his bladder.”
Bing Crosby – suffered from recurring kidney stones from 1951 onwards, according to biographer George Carpozi Jr.
George Eliot. Mary Ann Evans wrote under the male pen name of George Eliot. She had suffered from various health problems for all of her life, and starting in February 1874 she endured a series of kidney stone attacks that lasted until her death.
Indira Gandhi. In 1959, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi began to suffering from severe pain in the stomach and back. She was diagnosed with a kidney stone and underwent successful surgery in February 1960 to have it removed.
Ava Gardner. In 1954, movie actress Ava Gardner was hospitalized in Madrid with kidney stones. In her torment, she is said to have yelled curses that caused the Spanish nuns to blush.
Alfred Hitchcock – developed kidney stones following a pacemaker procedure in 1974. He also suffered from colitis at that time.
Billy Joel – discussed a recent bout with kidney stones in a 1990 interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, noting how the event was somewhat exaggerated by the press.
“And of course the papers had me collapsing at JFK Airport,” he said, “I didn’t collapse at JFK. I’ve had kidney stones before this. I just called the doctor, and I said, ‘Should I go to Europe?’ He said, ‘No, come in. Let’s take care of it.’ So I went into the hospital.”
Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson showed members of the press an incision that he received during a recent gall bladder surgery and kidney stone removal procedure.
Michelangelo. In 1549, Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo was treated for kidney stones by anatomist Realdo Colombo. Michelangelo appears to have suffered for many years from recurrent uric acid stones and may have died from obstructive nephropathy. His condition may account for his artistic interest in kidneys.
Roger Moore. Early in the filming of Live and Let Die (1973), actor Roger Moore was hospitalised from a pre-existing kidney stone condition.
Isaac Newton. Newton’s life was plagued by urolithiasis and urinary incontinence. ‘In August, 1724, the presence of a dreaded disease declared itself by his voiding without any pain, a stone, about the size of a pea, which passed in two pieces’. Possible evidence of his urolithiasis was seen in 1725, when an attack of gout forced him to step down from the Royal Society, suggesting that his stones may have been uric acid.
Samuel Pepys. The post-mortem examination of noted diarist Samuel Pepys revealed, “a nest of no less than seven stones” in his left kidney. These weighed a total of 4.5 ounces. When he was younger, Pepys had undergone bladder surgery, pre-anaesthesia, for removal of a large stone. He carried this stone with him to try to persuade fellow sufferers to endure the painful surgery.
James K. Polk. The eleventh President of the United States, James K. Polk, suffered from kidney stones during his youth. At the age of seventeen he underwent a successful lithotomy without anaesthetic for removal of a urinary stone. Thereafter he was sufficiently well to be able to receive a formal education.
Burt Reynolds. In 1984, Burt Reynolds reportedly missed the opening of his Florida restaurant Burt and Jack’s because kidney stone pain caused him to pass out. He reportedly had a high fever at the time as well.
William Shatner. In 2005, William Shatner was rushed to the hospital due to a backache that turned out to be caused by kidney stones. The following year, he sold his kidney stone to an online casino to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.
Speaking of his decision, the actor said, “This takes organ donors to a new height, to a new low, maybe. How much is a piece of me worth?”
Arthur Sullivan – of the musical partnership Gilbert and Sullivan, began to suffer from kidney stones in 1872. This would affect him for the remainder of his life, although he would continue to write while suffering from pain. He underwent surgery in 1874 in an attempt to treat the condition.
Kiefer Sutherland – suffered a kidney stone in 2003 and claimed it was an incredibly painful experience. He stated, in an interview, “I’ve broken every bone in my body, but I’ve never experienced pain like this.”
Sir Robert Walpole – generally regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, suffered from the stone, as did his brother Horace Walpole and his mother Catherine.
Other politicians with kidney stones
- Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladić underwent surgery in Belgrade for a kidney stone in 1995, during the final year of the Serbian conflict with Bosnia. He was later indicted by the UN War Crimes Tribunal for genocide and other crimes.
- Senator John McCain has had four small kidney stones and he took the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide to prevent their formation. Other congress members who have experienced kidney stones include Representatives Tom Price and Mike Simpson, and Senator Ted Kennedy.
- Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove under U.S. President George W. Bush was hospitalised in September 2005 due to kidney stones.
- Former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom John Prescott was hospitalised on Christmas Day, 2006 for a kidney stone.
- British Labour politician Peter Mandelson.
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Celebrities and famous people with kidney disease
Last Reviewed on 27 May 2024