‘Live’ Emcee Déjà Vu Shares Update on Recent Health Diagnosis

Live With Kelly and Mark emcee Déjà Vu opened up to viewers about her recent health struggles.

“We’ve got to talk to our very own Déjà Vu. We love her so much,” Kelly Ripa said during the show’s Tuesday, April 7, episode. “For those of you who don’t know, if you don’t follow Déjà, she’s been dealing with a medical condition.”

Ripa asked Déjà if she could share an update on her health. Déjà, who was sporting a face mask, explained, “When we were out at the Oscars, I was hit with a bout of Bell’s palsy. So, it’s facial paralysis, and it kind of droops to the side a little. It’s not drooping as much now, but I’m still speaking to the side. So, the right side of my face has, kind of, like, paralyzed.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, Bell’s palsy “causes sudden weakness in the muscles on one side of the face.” The exact cause is unknown, but the condition is “short-term and improves over weeks.”

Déjà said the paralyzed side of her face has begun to experience “little movement,” while the other has been “pushed to the side.”

The Live audience applauded Déjà as the hosts sang her praises. “So sorry, Déjà,” Mark Consuelos said, while Ripa added, “I feel for you. You’re such a trooper.”

ABC

Déjà noted that her Bell’s palsy “isn’t as bad as some that I’ve seen online.” She continued, “I’m not in a lot of pain. It’s just more inconvenience. So, all things considered, it’s not that bad. And I’ve got to shout out to my listeners and to the Live family of viewers. Everybody’s been in my inbox with encouraging words and just giving me examples of things that may have happened to them, and just suggestions. Everybody’s just been so supportive.”

As for what treatments she’s receiving for the condition? “First, they give you, like, prednisone or a steroid shot and an antiviral to get your cranial nerve to go down, ’cause it’s inflamed,” Déjà shared. “And then, now, I’m doing just more holistic, kind of, [treatments], like facial massages. I’m doing acupuncture. Again, you have to go and see an ophthalmologist as well, because it impacts your eye as well.”

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Déjà remains optimistic about her recovery, saying she hopes “it will wrap up soon.”

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Ripa recalled learning about Déjà’s diagnosis via text from Live executive producer Michael Gelman shortly before they filmed Live‘s After the Oscars show last month. “Any time you get a text message from Gelman at, like, three in the morning, saying, ‘Are you up?’ It’s never a good sign,” she joked. “And he’s like, ‘I’ve got to talk to you about something.’ And I was like, ‘What have I done?'”

Addressing Déjà, Ripa stated, “You are hanging in there, and I know it probably doesn’t feel comfortable for you, but you’re such a pro.”

Consuelos wrapped up the conversation by telling Déjà, “Through all this, you’re gonna be helping a lot of people going through the journey with yourself.”

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