‘Buffy’ Alum Nicholas Brendon Was Hospitalized After ‘Cardiac Incident,’ Now Focusing on ‘More Rest’
The health scare comes nearly one year after the actor’s rep confirmed he was suffering from “deep-seated medical problems and immense pain” following an arrest last August
Nicholas Brendon was recently hospitalized for a cardiac issue.
The news was shared on the 51-year-old actor’s Instagram account Tuesday.
“Nicky sends his love and wanted me to apologize that he hasn’t been going live as much lately and to give everyone an update,” the post began, alongside a picture of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer alum on an ambulance stretcher. The carousel continued to show Brendon in a wheelchair, asleep in a hospital bed and gently petting a dog.
It continued, “Nicky is doing fine now but he had to be rushed to emergency about two weeks ago because of a cardiac incident (tachycardia/arrhythmia). Some of you might remember he had a similar incident after his second spinal surgery last year (for Cauda Equina) but this time.
“He is trying to get a little more rest and has been concentrating on medical appointments,” the update wrapped, signed “Love, T.”
A rep for Brendon did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The medical emergency comes nearly one year after the actor was described as having “deep-seated medical problems and immense pain” following following an August 2021 arrest in Indiana when he was charged with felony prescription fraud, his manager Theresa Fortier told The Daily Mail.
View this post on Instagram
The Criminal Minds actor experienced “paralysis in his genitals” and legs, and was awaiting scans on his back and groin areas at the time.
Brendon suffers from Cauda equina syndrome, which is when the nerve roots in the lumbar spine are compressed, limiting movement and sensation. The condition was reportedly exacerbated by his jail stint last year.
Exactly one year ago, the actor was arrested in Terre Haute, Indiana, after allegedly using false information to obtain prescription drugs. In addition to the felony charge, he was also charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly failing to properly identify himself when pulled over by police, handing them a California ID with the name Kelton Schultz. Brendon told police it was his brother’s ID. (Brendon has an identical twin brother named Kelly Donovan, and their family name is Schultz).
Brendon was held at Vigo County Jail and released soon after on his own recognizance. Brendon was held at Vigo County Jail and released soon after on his own recognizance. A plea agreement was reached in February 2022, WLFI reported, though its terms were not immediately clear. The Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Fortier said he was made to sleep on a concrete floor during his stay.
“During the arrest they were not quite careful with his condition,” she told the Mail.
The star’s latest brush with the law comes following a series of arrests amid struggles with drugs and alcohol. He was serving a three-year probation sentence for attacking a former girlfriend when he was arrested last August, according to the Desert Sun.
Brendon, who starred in Buffy as Xander Harris for the entirety of its seven-season run from 1997 to 2003, checked himself into rehab in April 2004.
“After realizing that I had a disease that was taking control of my life, I decided that the best way for me to regain my health was to enter a treatment facility,” he said in a statement at the time.
The actor entered rehab again in 2010, and faced numerous criminal charges from 2014 to 2017 including grand theft, criminal mischief, public intoxication and impairment.
He was also charged with robbery in the third degree, as well as causing damages of up to $1000 in a Florida hotel. Brendon entered two treatment centers in 2015, one in June for depression, alcoholism and substance abuse, and another in October for depression.
After pleading guilty to criminal mischief for allegedly grabbing his girlfriend by the throat that October in Sarasota Springs, New York, Brendon was arrested again in October 2017 for allegedly attacking his girlfriend in a California hotel room. The girlfriend had active protective orders against him, and he was charged with domestic violence, resulting in his current three-year probation sentence.
Last year, Brendon pulled out of promotional events for his movie Wanton Want, citing medical issues he suffered since his jail sentence. The film hit Amazon Prime Video in September 2021.
[via]
