William Shatner fans can breathe easy.<\/p>\n
The 94-year-old actor is doing well after allegedly experiencing a medical emergency Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI over indulged. I thank you all for caring but I\u2019m perfectly fine,\u201d the \u201cStar Trek\u201d star wrote on X Thursday<\/a> alongside a meme joking about his \u201cgreatly exaggerated \u2026 demise.\u201d<\/p>\n William Shatner quelled concerns this week after reports of a medical emergency. Getty Images<\/p>\n TMZ had sparked panic by reporting that Shatner suffered a blood sugar issue<\/a> at his Los Angeles home and was hospitalized.<\/p>\n But the Hollywood legend\u2019s representatives set the record straight.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is fine,\u201d Shatner\u2019s talent agent, Harry Gold, told USA Today<\/a>. \u201cI spoke to Mr. Shatner yesterday, and he sounded strong and his same old self.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s hardly the first time Shatner\u2019s health has made headlines.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, the Emmy winner opened up about his decades-long battle with tinnitus<\/a> \u2014 a chronic ringing in the ears \u2014 which he said began while filming the \u201cStar Trek\u201d episode \u201cArena\u201d in 1967.<\/p>\n \u201cI was too close to the special effects\u2019 explosion, and the result was that I was left with permanent tinnitus,\u201d he recalled in a video<\/a> for the nonprofit Tinnitus Quest<\/a>.<\/p>\n Shatner is known for his iconic role as Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series and films. Everett Collection \/ Everett Col<\/p>\n Tinnitus is a common condition, affecting up to 20% of people, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>. <\/p>\n For some, it\u2019s mild and only noticeable in quiet moments, but for others, it can be severe and persistent. <\/p>\n In those cases, tinnitus can take a serious toll, often leading to sleep problems, trouble concentrating, social isolation and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the years, I\u2019ve had many ups and downs with my tinnitus, and I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get,\u201d Shatner said in the video.\u00a0<\/p>\n But that condition pales in comparison to what the \u201cBoston Legal\u201d actor faced in March 2024: a stage 4 melanoma diagnosis that could have been fatal.<\/p>\n Shatner has been open about his health struggles throughout his career. WireImage<\/p>\n The first sign of the aggressive skin cancer was a lump under his right ear.<\/p>\n At first, his family doctor told him not to worry, suggesting the lump was a blockage in the parotid gland that would go away with massage.<\/p>\n But after a month with no improvement, Shatner sought a second opinion \u2014 and learned the truth was far more serious.<\/p>\n \u201cThey said if this [treatment] they used did not work, I had about five months,\u201d Shatner told Healio<\/a>, without specifying the exact timing of the diagnosis.<\/p>\n While early detection gives melanoma patients a five-year survival rate of over 99%, that figure plunges to just 35% once the cancer reaches stage 4, according to the American Cancer Society<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thankfully, Shatner underwent surgery to remove the lump and credits a rigorous immunotherapy regimen with saving his life and putting him in remission.<\/p>\n At 94, Shatner continues to work actively. Getty Images for SXSW<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t Shatner\u2019s first brush with a cancer scare.<\/p>\n In 2016, the \u201cT.J. Hooker\u201d star revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer<\/a> after a sudden spike in his PSA levels \u2014 a potential red flag for the disease.<\/p>\n However, he later learned it was a false alarm.<\/p>\n Shatner said the elevated PSA levels were actually caused by testosterone supplements he was taking at the time. After stopping them, his numbers returned to normal.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was really scary,\u201d he told NBC News. \u201cI was told by a doctor I had a terminal disease. That I was going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n