Leon Schuster health update: Bed-bound and living on pain meds

Beloved South African comedian Leon Schuster’s health has taken another setback.

The 74-year-old actor has had multiple failed back surgeries in recent years. He has also spoken out about living with depression and loneliness.

The veteran TV star is known for his pranks and comedic films, including You Must Be Joking, Oh Schucks, I’m Gatvol, and Mr Bones, among many others.

LEON SCHUSTER HEALTH SETBACK

On Facebook, local entertainment page, Afrikaners, shared a health update by comedian Leon Schuster.

The South African screen icon revealed that he was left confined to his bed and reliant on pain medication after multiple failed back surgeries.

The veteran star injured his back in 2023 while filming a movie. Since then, he has had several more corrective surgeries, which have left him with chronic pain and “living on pain pills”

Despite his sombre health, Schuster shared that he hoped to make a full recovery and create another movie, this time based on his Christian faith. 

“I trust in the Lord”, he added.

‘I DON’T WANT TO BE ALONE ANYMORE’

Last year, Leon Schuster opened up about living with depression and feeling bouts of loneliness.

In the KykNET docuseries Schuster, he said: “I don’t want to be alone anymore. I hope to meet a young thing in her 40s. I just hope she’ll understand my health problems, and has empathy and sympathy for them.”

The comedian revealed his “biggest fear” was “growing old alone”.

He said, “On Sunday evenings when the sun goes down, I get depressed. This is why I try as much as possible to have my kids visit me on a Sunday, having a braai that continues until I go to bed.

“You look for company, you don’t want to be alone. If no one visits me, I sit on my stoep and think about life, which is not a good thing. One should be busy.”

Leon Schuster was last romantically linked to real estate agent Amanda Coetzee, who was 20 years his junior. The couple split in 2021.