Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon has suffered ‘paralysis in his genitals and legs’ forcing him to pull out of all promotions for his new movie Wanton Want.
The 50-year-old actor is struggling to walk, suffering from Cauda equina syndrome which occurs when nerves in the lumbar spine are compressed.
He was arrested last month over allegations of using a fake ID to buy prescription drugs. He has claimed that being forced to sleep on rock hard floor in prison has aggravated his health issues.
His manager and close friend Theresa Fortier told the Daily Mail: “[He has] deep-seated medical problems and immense pain.
“Right now he is concentrating on his health. He is not doing promotion for the film.
“This past week and a half, things have turned drastically worse. He is suffering from paralysis in his genitals and private parts.”
Brendon is currently awaiting the results of back and groin scans, and will need major back surgery soon. Fortier insists that these complications were worsened by his time in jail.
She said: “He may have burst another disc or everything fell out of alignment.
“So sleeping on a cement floor with other inmates was not exactly conducive to healing and it aggravated his injury and since then he has been in immense pain with numbness and paralysis.”
Brendon also has an array of other injuries contributing to his devastating pain. He still needs knee surgery from a past MCL and ACL tear, and he injured himself further after falling at Fortier’s Indiana home in February this year.
“He had a fall on the ice and we got him to the emergency room. An MRI revealed issues with his lumbar, discs and spine,” Fortier said.
“They did an emergency spinal surgery the very next day, where he had a spinal shave and a disc removal. He was told one wrong move could have left him with total paralysis.”
She also revealed that Brendon’s lawyer is currently unwilling to comment on the arrest beyond what has already been said.
Recent reports have suggested that Brendon was struggling with medical bills, hardly surprising given just how many injuries he has suffered.
His girlfriend Sarah Allison started a fundraising page on Facebook in spring which amassed over $5,000 (£3,614). Fortier has insisted that the medical fees have been covered.
The new movie Wanton Want will be released on September 28.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk