Jenny McCarthy is opening up about how a toothache spiraled into a yearslong health ordeal that she says left her living in a tent.
The “Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Show” podcast host, 53, detailed that what “started with a freaking toothache” turned into an “insane” two-year struggle with mold and mycotoxin poisoning.
“Somehow that led me down a rabbit hole of doctors, surgeries, teeth being pulled, mysterious growths popping up in places you are not expecting, implants literally falling out, and eventually realizing my immune system was fighting something so much bigger,” she told her listeners in an Oct. 28 episode. “At one point, you know, I was just so desperate to heal that I literally was living in a tent. That’s right, living in a tent!”
In October 2024, the “Masked Singer” judge sought treatment for a persistent toothache that did not respond to painkillers. Dentists eventually referred her to an endodontist for oral surgery, but she said the procedure failed to resolve the problem as her dental issues worsened.
Eventually, she developed chalazions, cyst-like bumps that grow on the eyelids, and a doctor warned her she could be facing “a cancer issue.”
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Judi Dench, 91, says her worsening eyesight has prevented her from acting.
The Oscar-winning actress, known for “Shakespeare in Love” and the James Bond franchise, was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration in 2012.
“I can’t be on stage. I can’t do a play anymore. I can’t do a film anymore. I can’t read anymore,” Dench told BBC Radio 4 in an Oct. 22, 2026 interview.
The condition affects central vision, making everyday activities difficult, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Dench previously revealed that she stopped driving and relies on friends to help her learn scripts, describing her growing dependence on others as “the most terrible shock to the system.”
(Stuart C. Wilson, Getty Images for BFI)What was causing Jenny McCarthy’s pain and infections?
Following medical fatigue from what she said felt like thousands of surgeries, she was finally given a proper diagnosis in December 2025.
“I get on the phone with her and she says, ‘Jenny, you’ve got serious mold. You’ve got the type of mold that causes seizures. If this thing crosses the blood-brain barrier, I’m going to be talking to you in hospital. You’re going to start seizing. We’ve got to get on this immediately,'” she said.
Jenny McCarthy attends the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 26, 2026 in Hollywood, California.
Mold and mycotoxin poisoning attacked her immune system, causing her many infections. She said the lack of a proper diagnosis made her feel “like a freaking paranoid schizophrenic.” Even as she has recovered, she still feels like “a little bit crazy and like the walls are caving in.”
“I thought everything was poisoning me at this point, because look at me, I was a freaking hot mess, okay?” McCarthy added.
McCarthy said the poisoning came from her Los Angeles home, prompting her to undergo mold remediation, which is still ongoing.
“I’m still in my mold detox, you guys. I’m still in it, like, I’m knee-deep in it. I’m in month seven of detox and I’m too paranoid to honestly live anywhere else other than a tent,” she continued.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jenny McCarthy says mold, mycotoxin poisoning had her ‘living in a tent’