Star Jones Recalls Her Heart Being ‘Disconnected for 22 Minutes' During Surgery 14 Years Ago: ‘That Is No Joke'
During an appearance on the Wednesday, Feb. 18 episode of the Tamron Hall Show, the journalist and TV personality, 62, opened up about her experience, recalling the surgery "is no joke.'
'They opened up my chest, cracked it and disconnected my heart for 22 minutes," she said, before joking, "But like I say, they put it back in so don't trip."
'Heart disease is still the number one killer of women, still the number one killer of Americans, still the number one killer of African Americans,' she explained. 'And this is my mission in life. This is why I wake up in the morning: to say to women, take care of yourself. Put yourself on the front burner. It is important for you.'
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Related: Star Jones Opens Up About Weight Loss and Body Image: 'I Chose to Live and I Took Care of Myself' (Exclusive)
Jones admitted that in the past, she ignored her own body '100%,' which is why she missed the signs of her heart disease.
'I was morbidly obese and obese for the vast majority of my adult life. So when I was short of breath or my legs hurt or I would get dizzy, I attributed that to the weight," she told host Tamron Hall. "So then after having weight loss surgery, after having done therapy, after having changed my eating habits, started exercising, I should have felt better. But I didn't feel better."
The Jones & Jury star said that instead of dealing with it, she brushed it off as 'residual weight' until she was later diagnosed with heart disease. As a journalist, she said she felt a responsibility to raise awareness.
'If I'm the one who brings the news to people and I didn't know, this is my job to tell everybody else,' she told Hall, 54, on the show. 'Stop putting other people first when it comes to your health. That's my message.'
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Related: Heart Disease Survivor Star Jones Is 'Concerned' About Health Care Rights Under Trump
Last year, Jones opened up to PEOPLE about her mission to get others to take better care of their health.
"The most important thing is for men and women to take care of their health,' the actress said in June 2024. 'And I chose living over dying.'
'One of my very favorite lines is from Shawshank Redemption. 'You either choose to live or you choose to die,' ' she continued. 'I chose to live and I took care of myself, and literally 20 years later, I have taken care.'
Jones also noted that as a 'heart disease survivor' her experiences have fueled her to keep up her healthy habits.
"Because of those choices, I was able to walk out of that hospital a whole, healthy survivor and thriver,' she told PEOPLE. 'And I don't take anything away from my journey.'
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Atlantic
3 hours ago
- Atlantic
A MAHA Progress Report
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spent the past six months working fast to embed his Make America Healthy Again creed into American life. Over the summer alone, he has struck deals with some food companies to phase out some petroleum-based food dyes, waged a war against pediatricians over COVID-19 vaccines for young children, seemingly toyed with the idea of shipping fresh food to Americans in ' MAHA boxes,' and pledged to reboot the nation's dietary guidelines from scratch. I spoke with the Atlantic staff writer Nicholas Florko, who reports on health policy, about how the MAHA-fication of the country is coming along. Nicholas Florko: We've seen Robert F. Kennedy Jr. take actions that will weaken our vaccination system in the United States, confirming some of public health's worst fears. But there have also been some surprising successes in his term. RFK Jr. has embraced the role of a dealmaker, and we've seen him leaning on food companies in particular to change their offerings and get rid of synthetic dyes. He's been able to do that simply by asking and by making handshake agreements, as opposed to what we would normally expect from a health secretary—for him to use his regulatory power to force these changes. Stephanie: Why are these handshake agreements proving successful? Nicholas: Food companies likely realize that it's in their best interest to get on the good side of the Trump administration. We see this throughout all sectors of business, but for the food sector, these changes are small enough that companies can make them without dramatically hurting their bottom line, while also earning a lot of brownie points with the administration. Stephanie: That reminds me of President Donald Trump's announcement in July that Coca-Cola, famously his favorite drink, had agreed to make their soda with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup. To what extent is Trump influencing health policy? Does RFK Jr. have a lot of latitude? Nicholas: The Coca-Cola issue is an interesting one because while it's true that RFK Jr. is very anti–high-fructose corn syrup, he's also publicly called sugar a 'poison.' So this is one of those instances where you wonder what is behind RFK Jr. supporting this change. He must know that this isn't actually going to significantly improve public health, but also probably realizes that this is important to his boss. That being said, I think that RFK Jr. does have some latitude. If you left Trump to his own devices, you probably wouldn't see the same level of aggression toward food companies overall, unless he had a personal stake in the situation. Stephanie: With back-to-school season under way, many students are getting up-to-date on their shots. How does this year's vaccination season compare to years past? Nicholas: We haven't seen huge changes, but we are seeing some hints of what might come. Much of the action thus far is around COVID vaccines. In February the president issued a largely symbolic executive order barring schools from enforcing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, but by the time that was issued, virtually no schools actually had such a policy. RFK Jr. also softened the CDC's recommendation for kids to get the COVID-19 vaccine. That's probably been one of his most controversial decisions, prompting a high-profile clash with pediatricians; a leading pediatrics group put out its own suggestions saying that children should be getting vaccinated. But we haven't seen major changes to the other vaccines typically required for returning to school. Stephanie: That disagreement must make it confusing for parents to know who to listen to. Nicholas: It's reasonable to assume that a good portion of people will listen to RFK Jr., but those people may be already skeptical of vaccines and see him as a trustworthy messenger, versus folks who are on the fence. I think that's really the question: Where do those people who are on the fence go? Do they take RFK Jr.'s suggestion, or do they trust their doctor? Stephanie: In May, you wrote a story that was alarming for salad lovers, specifically about how bagged lettuce should be avoided. What's happening with America's food-safety system? Nicholas: One of the earliest, most concerning changes for food safety happened when DOGE came into the federal agencies. Advisory committees focused on food-safety questions were shut down. People were being laid off—such as the administrative staff in charge of making sure that inspectors can go out to farms. Some layoffs seem to have been rescinded, but there's a broad worry about what will happen to the day-to-day operations that we all depend on to keep us safe. Stephanie: A recent story about the recall of frozen shrimp with potential radioactive contamination has caused a bit of a panic about where America's food safety is headed. How did you take that news? Nicholas: One thing that gives me some hope is the fact that this is the sort of thing that we caught, and there have been recalls by Walmart. That's really the big fear when it comes to food safety: that if we attack these federal programs, they're not going to be able to actually find the food that might get us sick before a lot of people get sick. So I think this is actually a good sign that things are working relatively well. Stephanie: Out of all the stories you've written this past summer about the MAHA movement, is there one that keeps you up at night? And is there one that makes you feel hopeful for where American health and safety is going? Nicholas: Honestly, the stories that keep me up at night are by our colleague Katie Wu. Her recent one on RFK Jr.'s COVID revenge campaign has really stuck with me. My own story that both keeps me up at night and that makes me hopeful is related to states, which are taking up the MAHA charge in a very quick fashion. It's felt like Republican governors and legislatures are all trying to out-MAHA one another to ingratiate themselves to Trump and to RFK Jr. Some of these ideas are good from a public-health perspective, but these states are doing a lot of things really fast, which is what worries me. For example, some states are blocking people from using food stamps to buy soda and other junk food. There's a question of how that policy will be implemented, how the attempts to enact these restrictions could affect the entire food-stamp system. Other states have passed laws banning artificial dyes in their school meals. Again, it's one of those ideas that's a good step, but the devil is in the details of how it's executed. How does this flurry of activity in the states actually affect people in the coming months? Does this ultimately make America healthier, or does it send our food system into chaos? 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Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Shrimp Recall Map Shows 9 States With New Warning
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Southwind Foods, LLC, is recalling numerous brand names of frozen shrimp due to fears of possible radionuclide (Cesium-137) contamination. Newsweek reached out to the company via phone on Thursday and left a voicemail. Why It Matters Numerous recalls have been initiated this year due to the potential for damaged products, foodborne illness, contamination and undeclared food allergens. Millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or allergies every year. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the nine "major" food allergens in the U.S. are eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, Crustacean shellfish, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts. Cesium-137 is a man-made radioisotope of cesium, and the primary risk of repeat low-dose exposure is "an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body," per the agency. What To Know In the alert, the FDA warns that the recalled frozen shrimp were distributed from July 17 to August 8, 2025, at wholesalers, retailers and distributors in Alabama, Arizona, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Virginia, Utah and Washington state. Below is a map of the affected states: The FDA alert has a chart with corresponding item numbers, product descriptions, as well as UPC and lot numbers for customers to cross-reference. No illnesses have been reported related to this recall as of Tuesday, the agency notes. The brands impacted by the recall include Sand Bar, Arctic Shores, Best Yet, Great American and First Street, according to the alert. What People Are Saying The FDA alert, in part: "The FDA is actively investigating reports of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods) of Indonesia." In an email to Newsweek in January, the FDA said: "Most recalls in the U.S. are carried out voluntarily by the product manufacturer and when a company issues a public warning, typically via news release, to inform the public of a voluntary product recall; the FDA shares that release on our website as a public service. "The FDA's role during a voluntary, firm-initiated, recall is to review the recall strategy, evaluate the health hazard presented by the product, monitor the recall, and as appropriate alert the public and other companies in the supply chain about the recall. "The FDA provides public access to information on recalls by posting a listing of recalls according to their classification in the FDA Enforcement Report, including the specific action taken by the recalling company. The FDA Enforcement Report is designed to provide a public listing of products in the marketplace that are being recalled." Additional information on recalls can be found via the agency's Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts. What Happens Next Consumers who have purchased the recalled shrimp are advised not to consume it, dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund, the FDA says. People with additional questions can contact the company at 1-323-262-8222 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT weekdays.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
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MAGA loyalist warns ‘declining' Trump: ‘Collapse' is coming
Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is urging President Donald Trump to cut back on his schedule before the 'crisis gets worse.' During his InfoWars show, Jones on Wednesday warned Trump of dire consequences if he doesn't begin to delegate his agenda and reduce the number of hours he works every week. 'You could see him declining faster and faster. He's not super bad yet, but unlike Biden... Trump has got great genetics, he's tough, and if he takes care of himself, he can make it through these years and then after," Jones said. Jones went on to predict that Trump, who is 79, is 'going to have some type of collapse' within the next year if he continues on what he described as 'the current trajectory.' 'I'm not saying he's going to collapse. I'm saying if he doesn't take his foot off the gas pedal, I guarantee it, and I got stamina, way better than most people," Jones said. 'If I had Trump's job at 51, for a month, I would have a nervous breakdown, so this isn't a criticism of Trump, but it would be like taking an ultra marathon running and saying, 'You can run 100 miles in two days? How about 300 in two days?' You can't do it,' he continued. Jones maintained that he has a 'responsibility' to share his concerns — even if it will 'hurt the pro-human liberty' agenda. He said that the president has been through 'nine years of hell,' and now 'a lightbulb is starting to go out," pleading Trump to work 14 hours rather than 20. Jones pointed to Trump's diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency, in which veins in the legs can't properly carry blood back to the heart. In Trump's case, it has led to his 'swollen ankles,' according to Jones, who claimed the president's ankles during his recent summit in Alaska appeared 'really big' and 'look like they're about 15 inches around.' 'That's not a good sign for the heart and the rest of the body, because the rest of him — he's lost weight, he's not that fat. So Trump really needs to exercise and take care of himself. That's not good," Jones said. '...Trump is a maniac. He's our maniac. But he's like a race horse,' he added. Jones, who called Trump 'extremely driven,' also noted Trump's comments made earlier this week in a Fox News interview. The president said he wants to 'get to heaven if possible,' but joked, 'I'm hearing I'm not doing well.' 'I don't think Trump's going to be able to stop himself. This is the way he is genetically. But if the people around him could just get him to take off one day a week — if he could just go play golf and watch movies and have some fun — he deserves it," Jones said later in the episode. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to
