William Shatner has responded to a report saying he was hospitalized with a Mark Twain-themed response that he “overindulged” and is “perfectly fine.”
The 94-year-old “Star Trek” icon shared a meme of himself on X on Sept. 25 that showed him as author Mark Twain with the quote “Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!” The line is a famously misremembered quote from Twain in which he refuted rumors about his death.
“I over indulged,” Shatner wrote. “I thank you all for caring but I’m perfectly fine. I keep telling you all: don’t trust tabloids or AI!”
A report by TMZ said that the actor who portrayed the iconic Captain Kirk had been rushed to the hospital on Sept. 24 after suffering a medical emergency.
Shatner has been living long and prospering into his 90s, almost 60 years after he first played Capt. Kirk in the legendary science fiction series.
He spoke with NBC News in 2018 about his secret to longevity.
“My life has been so lucky — I’ve been so fortunate in terms of health, which is really the basis of everything,” he said. “Your health and your energy is partially your doing, but partially accidental — genetic and accidental.”
Shatner shared in 2024 that he survived skin cancer after discovering a lump near his right ear and being diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, according to Managed Healthcare Executive, an industry publication.
Shatner said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in March 2024 that he was treated with immunotherapy for the skin cancer and had the spot removed. He didn’t specify when the treatment happened.
Finding joy in daily life has also been a constant theme for Shatner. He even became the oldest person to go to space at 90 when he flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket in 2021.