Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly disclosed over the weekend that his recent hospitalization was caused by a hereditary medical condition involving internal bleeding, offering new details after initially announcing earlier this week that he was dealing with an unspecified health issue.
In a Saturday column posted on his website, O’Reilly explained that the condition temporarily sidelined him and required several days of hospitalization. He said the experience gave him time to reflect and expressed gratitude for the medical care he received.
“I am absolutely stunned by the reaction to my medical situation,” O’Reilly wrote. “You can do a lot of thinking while sitting in a hospital for four days.” He said the episode was caused by “a hereditary condition involving internal bleeding” and added that he hopes the issue has been brought under control.
O’Reilly praised his medical team, singling out Dr. Ira Jacobson for leading his care. “I have the best medical team … trying to keep me on the field,” he wrote, striking a characteristically defiant tone.
He also used the moment to criticize government-run health care systems, saying he was grateful to be treated in the United States.
“Thank God we don’t have socialized medicine in this country,” O’Reilly wrote. “I’d be in a dark container right now.”
Despite the health scare, O’Reilly said he intends to continue pushing forward and emphasized that many people endure far more serious medical challenges.
“I will fight the good fight,” he wrote, adding that perspective is essential when dealing with illness. “The longevity thing is not up to me. My Christian belief is that we are all here for a reason and there is, indeed, a time for every season.”
O’Reilly also commented on the public response to his brief absence, saying he was surprised by the volume of messages and support he received after announcing a short pause in his work schedule.
“When I announced a short medical work pause, I did not expect the enormous outpouring of concern,” he wrote. While acknowledging that critics attempted to use the situation to attack him and his family, O’Reilly said he remains focused on the positive.
“Yes, a few usual suspects tried to damage me and my family further, and karma will deal with them,” he wrote. “The good news is that the haters are far outnumbered by benevolent people.”
O’Reilly previously shared in a Friday update that he was recovering at a medical facility in New York City and had already begun preparing for his next broadcast. He confirmed in a follow-up message on Monday that he planned to return to hosting his nightly “No Spin News” program later that evening after a brief hiatus.
O’Reilly hosts “No Spin News” on weeknights and is also a regular guest on NewsNation programs including “On Balance with Leland Vittert” and “CUOMO.”
He launched “No Spin News” in August 2017 following his departure from Fox News earlier that year. Fox terminated O’Reilly’s contract in April 2017 amid multiple sexual harassment allegations, which he has consistently denied.
Saturday’s column marked O’Reilly’s most detailed explanation yet of his recent health scare, and his message made clear that, for now, he intends to continue broadcasting and engaging with his audience as he recovers.
