Donald Glover says he had a stroke, doctors ‘found a hole in my heart’

Donald Glover is sharing details about a recent health scare that forced him to cancel his Childish Gambino tour last year.

In October 2024, Glover announced that he had discovered an ailment that required surgery but did not elaborate on his condition.

Glover, who performs under the moniker Childish Gambino, said Saturday night at a performance that a doctor told him he’d had a stroke.

The 42-year-old rapper shared the information on stage at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles.

“You guys voted for a ‘Where have I been’ monologue,” Glover said. “I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana and I did the show anyway. I couldn’t really see well, so when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital and the doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke.'”

“And the first thing I thought was like, ‘Oh, here I am still copying Jamie Foxx.’ That’s really the second thing. The first thing was like, ‘I’m letting everybody down,'” Glover said. “I know it’s not true but I’ve broken my foot, I always promised Ireland I’d be there and I still haven’t been.”

The Atlanta actor revealed that doctors “found a hole” in his heart and he had to have two surgeries.

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“They say everybody has two lives and the second life starts when you realize you have one,” Glover told the crowd. “You got one life, guys, and I gotta be honest, the life I’ve lived with you guys has been such a blessing.”

“As my wife says, which I love, ‘If this life is the flavour, as soon as I’m done, give me another scoop,'” Glover told the crowd.

“You should be living your life how you want because it can only get better,” the Community actor said.

Childish Gambino reveals that he had a stroke and a hole was found in his heart and is why he had to stop his tour pic.twitter.com/YxeQYBWDBA

— Dat (@DatDaDatty) November 23, 2025

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Back in 2024, Glover cancelled more than 30 scheduled dates in North America, the U.K. and Europe.

“My path to recovery is something I need to confront seriously,” Glover wrote at the time. “I want nothing more than to bring this show to the fans and perform. Until then, thanks for love, privacy, and support.”

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Nine in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for stroke or heart disease, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Based on the latest analysis from a study funded by Heart and Stroke, there are now approximately 108,707 strokes each year in Canada.

The most common signs of stroke can be spotted with the acronym FAST.

This includes face dropping, arm weakness and speech difficulty — all of which indicate that it’s time to call 911 immediately.

Almost 80 per cent of premature stroke and heart disease can be prevented through healthy behaviours like eating healthy, being active and living smoke-free.

— With files from The Associated Press

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