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‘American Idol’ Star Josh King Hospitalized After ‘Excruciating Pain’: What Happened?

Originally posted on TV Insider | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 12:18 PM ET

A songwriting retreat with contestants from Season 23 of American Idol took an unexpected turn when Josh King was rushed to the hospital after suffering from “excruciating pain.”

King, who finished the show in eighth place, recounted the experience in an Instagram post, which included a photo of fellow Season 23 contestants Skylie Marie Thompson and Grayson Torrence visiting him in the hospital.

“So the first day went great,” King shared. “I got to hang out with the gang and got a good night’s sleep. Next day was good too, hung out by the river, sang at the special Olympics with everyone, wrote some songs, but then I started to feel a bit iffy (if that’s a way to put it.) Went to sleep and woke up the next morning entirely unable to move. I was in such excruciating pain that I evacuated anything that remained in my stomach.”

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A post shared by Josh King (@officialjoshking)

King was taken to the emergency room by host Nina Daig’s husband, and he “spent the rest of the weekend” recovering there. “My heart rate was a steady 125-130 bpm for most of Saturday (resting), and any ounce of movement hurt like hell,” King continued. “I don’t quite know what it was exactly. (Official diagnosis is SIRS, but even they were questioning that) But the doctor said there was a ton of strain on my heart as a result and I had to be monitored for the next two nights. The cause was a combination of things, dehydration, fatigue, stress, heat exhaustion, etc.”

SIRS is systemic inflammatory response syndrome, “a life-threatening medical emergency caused by your body’s overwhelming response to a stressor,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

At the end of his post, King gave an update on his condition now. “I was released today and on the mend,” he concluded. “If you are wondering why I haven’t posted much in the last few weeks. It’s because I have been severely unlucky regarding the state of my health.”

He also noted that his “Idol family was there for [him] once again when [he] needed them.”

This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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