Tom Arnold, 66, seen in wheelchair after major surgery as he says he ‘broke his back’ falling out of bed

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Comedian Tom Arnold was seen at LAX airport on Thursday, recovering from recent back surgery. Despite the procedure, he proved his funny side is still going strong.

The 66-year-old actor appeared cheerful in a video posted by Joy.of.Everything, where he was seen talking to host Joe Andaloro while being wheeled through the airport.

Actor Jamie Foxx shared that he’s recovering well after undergoing surgery at the University of Iowa Hospital. He expressed gratitude that his back injury happened in Iowa, praising the excellent care he received there.

Arnold announced he needs time to recover, and then revealed the surprisingly simple way he got hurt.

‘I fell out of bed,’ he admitted with a grin, calling it ‘a terrible old man injury.’

He thought he’d fully recovered after receiving treatment at Cedars-Sinai earlier in the summer, but now realizes he might have pushed himself too hard.

‘So with my son, I played basketball for three hours, then took my daughter to the galleria for three hours because I thought I could do everything… turns out you gotta take it easy,’ he joked.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! He was so determined, swearing he wouldn’t let any of this affect his work, even as his team carefully moved him from his wheelchair to a stretcher. And then… the feed just cut out. I was left staring at the screen, completely panicked, wondering what was happening!

This new back injury follows a previous health issue the star had shared with the public. He was married to Roseanne Barr between 1990 and 1994.

In 2022, Arnold shared that a minor stroke in January led him to change his habits and start working on losing weight.

While bathing her children, the comedian briefly lost vision in her right eye. She explained to People that she had turned away to count to ten – a technique she uses to get them out of the tub – when it felt like a curtain was falling over her sight.

Though his vision partially came back later that evening, he saw his eye doctor and had more tests done. Another doctor then determined he’d had a transient ischemic attack – a mini-stroke – prompting Arnold to be admitted to UCLA Hospital for further assessment.

Tom, a 63-year-old single dad with two young children, said doctors told him he hadn’t suffered a major stroke and appeared healthy, but the experience was still frightening for him.

Honestly, things got really scary a couple of years ago – my organs just started failing. My doctor tweaked my meds, which helped, but I realized that wasn’t enough. I’d totally let myself go for years, completely neglecting my own well-being, and I knew I needed to make some serious life changes. It was a huge wake-up call, and I’m finally trying to prioritize taking care of me.

Arnold lost 75 pounds, going from 285 to 210, by completely changing his diet, eating well-rounded meals, and making exercise a regular habit.

He shared that his weight was making him feel older and limiting his ability to play with his kids. After five years, he’s starting to feel ready to date again and believes he deserves companionship. He also mentioned feeling more confident on camera, especially while filming with Arnold Schwarzenegger – and he’s actually lighter now than he was during the movie True Lies, which is a positive feeling for him.

He shared that he feels much more confident and comfortable in his body now. He’s noticed improvements in his movement, energy levels, and sleep, and believes these changes will allow him to live a longer, healthier life for his children.

I used to struggle just looking at my own face in the mirror, but now I have to confront everything about myself.

Arnold has been married four times. His wives were Barr (1990-1994), Julie Lynne Champnella (1995-1999), Shelby Roos (2002-2008), and Ashley Groussman, with whom he has two children. His divorce from Groussman was finalized in 2020.

He has not publicly announced any new relationships since. 

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2026-02-21 01:05