The legendary Hollywood star William Shatner has shocked his fans by revealing that he is still battling a “difficult” health condition that he obtained from an explosive mishap decades ago on the set of Star Trek.
Shatner’s ‘Difficult’ Health Battle
Last week, Shatner took part in a new promotional video for the nonprofit Tinnitus Quest. In it, Shatner revealed that he’s been battling tinnitus for over 30 years.
“My own journey with tinnitus started when I was filming a Star Trek episode called ‘Arena,’ and I was too close to the special effects’ explosion, and the result was that I was left with permanent tinnitus,” said Shatner, 94.
“And over the years, I’ve had many ups and downs with my tinnitus,” he continued. “I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, tinnitus is a condition in which “you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear when you have tinnitus isn’t caused by an external sound, and other people usually can’t hear it.”
“Tinnitus is a common problem. It affects about 15% to 20% of people, and is especially common in older adults,” the Mayo Clinic added.
Shatner, who was diagnosed with tinnitus in the 1990s, went on to say that “about 1% to 2% of the population suffer from a chronic, debilitating form of tinnitus.” He also revealed that “there are no effective treatments” for it.
“The more money we can raise for Tinnitus Quest, the quicker we can find a solution to help the millions of people suffering,” Shatner concluded. “Thank you so much for watching, and I hope you will consider donating to Tinnitus Quest.”
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Shatner Recalls Realizing He Has Tinnitus
This isn’t the first time that Shatner has opened up about his tinnitus battle. In 2023, he recalled the moment he first realized he had tinnitus.
“I was on the beach and it’s a vivid moment, and you know how the waves go out — the wave comes in [roars] and then it goes ‘ssss’ [as it] goes out,” Shatner told E! News at the time. “All of a sudden, I kept hearing a ‘ssss’ even though there was another wave coming. And that’s how I discovered [I had tinnitus].”
“And it started,” he lamented. “I went to the doctor and said, ‘Will it get worse?’ And he said, ‘It might not.’ But of course it does as you age, it gets worse.”
Shatner eventually got used to the condition. He explained that he did so because “your brain starts to assimilate the sound, like it would if you were living beside an airport.”
Related: William Shatner Admits That He ‘Doesn’t Have Long Left To Live’
Shatner Stays Positive
Despite battling this condition for decades, Shatner has tried to maintain a positive outlook.
“Sometimes it’s really bad, but I know it’s not going to kill me,” he concluded, “I realized that if you were given the choice of sight or sound, choose a faculty, most people would say, ‘Well, sight, sight, sight!’ It’s argumentative, because sound gives you a 360-degree [perspective]. Imagine never hearing music again.”
Shatner starred as Admiral James Kirk in the sci-fi television show Star Trek: The Original Series. The classic program aired from 1966 until 1969. The “Arena” episode that saw Shatner suffer this injury aired in 1967, nearly 60 years ago.
Star Trek is still beloved by millions of fans to this day. Yet many have no idea that Shatner suffered such a debilitating injury on the show’s set.
God bless Shatner for pushing through the pain while also using his platform to raise awareness about tinnitus. Please join us in saying a prayer for Shatner’s health moving forward!