Donald Glover Opens Up About Stroke & Discovering a Hole in His Heart

• Glover suffered a stroke during a tour, causing him to cancel shows
• Doctors found a hole in his heart that required two surgeries to fix
• Glover now has a renewed perspective and appreciation for performing

Donald Glover has finally shared the truth behind the medical emergency that quietly shut down his 2024 tour, and the story is far more serious than anyone realized.

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While performing at the Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles, the multi-hyphenate artist—known to many as Childish Gambino—told fans that he suffered a stroke mid-tour. Glover explained that it began with what he thought was a bad headache during a show in Louisiana. He pushed through the pain and performed anyway, but immediately afterward realized something was wrong. His vision was fading, and the pain kept intensifying.

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Still, he traveled to Houston for the next stop. That’s where everything changed. Once he got to the hospital, doctors informed him that he’d had a stroke. “I couldn’t really see well,” he told the audience. “The doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke.’”

The medical team soon discovered the cause: a hole in his heart that had gone undetected for years. Glover says he underwent two surgeries to fix the problem—a process that required weeks of recovery and made it impossible for him to continue performing.

Back in September, when he suddenly postponed and then canceled the remaining tour dates, Glover kept the details private. At the time, he only told fans he needed to focus on his health after doctors advised him not to perform. Now that he’s healed enough to return to the stage, he’s ready to explain what really happened.

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The experience also left him wrestling with guilt. Standing in front of the Camp Flog Gnaw crowd, he admitted he felt like he was “letting everybody down” when he canceled the tour. But as he continued to reflect on the moment, it became clear the stroke shifted his entire outlook on life.

Glover shared a quote that has stayed with him: “Everybody has two lives, and the second life starts when you realize you only have one.” He told his fans he now sees things differently and is far more grateful for every chance he gets to perform.

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He also jokingly noted that once doctors broke the news, his first thought was comparing himself to Jamie Foxx, who also suffered a stroke and has talked about the frightening experience in his own Netflix special.

Doctors say strokes can come on suddenly—often starting with severe headaches, trouble seeing, or difficulty controlling parts of the body. Glover’s situation could have turned out much worse had he not gotten immediate treatment.

Now, with surgeries behind him and a renewed perspective, he seems determined to move forward at a healthier pace. “The life I’ve lived with you guys has been such a blessing,” he told the crowd.

It was a serious scare, but Glover is finally on the other side of it—grateful, grounded, and ready for whatever life brings next.

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