'Part of My Brain Died': 'Dr. Pimple Popper' Sandra Lee Suffered Terrifying Stroke While Filming Lifetime Reality Show — Resulting in Life-Changing Damage
'Dr. Pimple Popper' Sandra Lee suffered a stroke during filming.
April 15 2026, Published 12:45 p.m. ET
"Dr. Pimple Popper" Sandra Lee says she was rushed to the hospital after suffering a stroke during filming, resulting in life-changing damage, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The dermatologist, 55, thought she was experiencing a "hot flash" before realizing it was something far more sinister.
'I Got Super Sweaty And Didn't Feel Like Myself'
Dr. Lee struggled to articulate and hold out her hand during her ordeal.
She explained: "It happened while I was filming the show. I had what I thought was a hot flash. I got super sweaty and didn't feel like myself."
After heading to her parents' house after filming, Dr. Lee felt shooting pain in her leg and struggled to walk down the stairs. She noticed the symptoms were primarily affecting her left side.
"I would hold my hand out, and it would just slowly collapse," Dr. Lee said. "I noticed that I had a tough time articulating and just enunciating. I thought, 'Am I having a stroke?'"
Dr. Sandra Lee's Father Urged Star To Seek Medical Treatment
Dr. Lee says her father told her to go to the hospital.
Dr. Lee's father, also a dermatologist, urged her to go to the emergency room. She underwent an MRI and learned that she had suffered from an ischemic stroke.
"What essentially happened is I had a part of my brain that died," the reality star explained to People. Following the incident, Dr. Lee paused all filming for two months and went into recovery.
And she’s since been undergoing physical therapy for "very basic things."
She explained: "I don’t like that I don’t have total control of my left hand, or the grip wasn't as strong. If I feel like I’m not at my best –it's very scary."
The stroke has also changed the sound of her voice.
"I notice it right now that I don’t speak exactly the way I used to," she noted. "You're really embarrassed to speak because you notice it. It is very stressful to open yourself up. Especially as a surgeon, you always want to show yourself coming from an area of strength."
'I Have A Lot Of Stress In My Life'
The dermatologist blamed the stroke on stress, not blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Explaining what led to the stroke, she said: "My blood pressure and my cholesterol were not under control, and I have a lot of stress in my life, dealing with my patients and the show."
Dr. Lee resumed filming in January, but worried about performing more intricate surgeries.
"There’s a lot of PTSD because it happened while I was filming the show,” she said.
The dermatologist added that, thanks to support from her staff, she was able to manage her caseload as the symptoms resolved.
She said she's opening up about her health scare to ease the stigma around strokes.
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Dr. Lee now wants to raise awareness of stroke symptoms to save others.
"In Asian cultures in particular, they don't tell people they’ve had a stroke because it can be seen as a sign of weakness," Dr. Lee added.
"I want to get the word out that if you have symptoms like I had, make sure you see your doctor. Take care of yourself."
Dr. Lee starred on the TLC reality series Dr. Pimple Popper from 2018 to 2023, after she grew a major following by posting online video content.
Her new series, Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out, is on Lifetime. The first season aired last year.
