What We Know About Louie Anderson's Hospitalization Amid Cancer Diagnosis

Louie Anderson is an award-winning comedian best known for his cartoon series, "Life With Louie," and his role in the Eddie Murphy comedy, "Coming to America." He has also done numerous stand-up comedy shows around his hometown of Las Vegas. The role that shot him into the spotlight, however, was as Christine Baskets on the FX comedy show, "Baskets." In a 2018 interview with Vox, the actor revealed that he drew inspiration for the role from his own mother. "I stole all my mom's nuance and tics," he stated, adding, "she was really funny in her own way, but she had so much style it was just unbelievable." The comedian has also channeled his mother in his own comedy routines and even wrote a book dedicated to her, entitled "Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too," after her death.

The secret to Anderson's success in his career is not caring what people think, he told Los Angeles Magazine in May 2020. "You know what's really nice? To be okay with who you are," he said, adding that even when he wants to change something about how he looks or who he is, he simply accepts it instead. "I like being different," he affirmed. "I'm never gonna be the person you want to be—you know, the perfect male, the class president." Anderson's authenticity and humor have inspired fans for decades, which is why many were saddened to learn of his cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization this week.

On January 18, Louie Anderson's rep, Glenn Schwartz, gave TMZ an update on the comedian's condition amid a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, which is a non-Hodgkind lymphoma that targets B-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell important for proper immune system functioning, per the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Anderson is currently getting treatments at a Las Vegas hospital, although his rep did not say for how long he has been dealing with cancer nor if this is his first stay at the hospital. Fortunately, the actor is not in any pain and "is resting comfortably in his hospital bed," according to Schwartz.

This isn't Anderson's first stay in a hospital for a health condition. In October 2003, the former "Family Feud" host underwent two surgical procedures related to a heart condition, as per Deseret News. While not much was revealed about the specific condition, his agent, Steve Levine, confirmed to the Associated Press at the time that a heart attack did not precede the surgery. Since then, Anderson has been candid about taking his health seriously, including setting out to lose weight during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a chat with Conan O'Brien on "Conan" in March 2021, the comedian said (via People) that he "started the pandemic at about 370 or 380 pounds" and was down to 340 pounds about a year later. His goal weight at the time was 275 pounds and was working to get there.