HEALTHDr. Pimple Popper Sandra Lee Reveals Part of Her 'Brain Died' After Suffering Nightmare Stroke While Filming New Season
Dr. Pimple Popper Sandra Lee revealed she suffered a nightmare stroke that left her with slurred speech while filming her new season.
April 14 2026, Updated 5:14 p.m. ET
Dr. Pimple Popper Sandra Lee suffered a major medical battle while shooting the latest season of her hit Lifetime series.
In a Tuesday, April 14, interview, the dermatologist, 55, revealed she experienced a stroke last November, leaving her with lingering slurred speech.
Lee emphasized how “stressful” it’s been opening up about what she’s been through, particularly as a surgeon herself who always wants to show signs of “strength.”
Dr. Sandra Lee suffered a stroke last October.
On November 20, 2025, the doctor was working with a patient while shooting Dr. Pimple Popper at her practice in Upland, Calif., when she had a “hot flash.”
“I got super sweaty and didn’t feel like myself,” she recalled.
After work, she noticed herself feeling “very restless” and had “shooting pains” up one leg. The star couldn’t sleep and struggled to walk down the stairs when trying to get something to eat in the kitchen.
In the morning, her left side had grown worse.
“I would hold my hand out, and it would just slowly collapse. I noticed that I had a tough time articulating and just enunciating,” she remembered. “I thought, ‘Am I having a stroke?’”
Dr. Sandra Lee Was Rushed to the ER
Dr. Sandra Lee halted filming her show while recovering from a stroke.
Lee rushed to the emergency room to get an MRI, which revealed she had suffered an ischemic stroke.
“It was just a shock,” she expressed. “As a physician I couldn’t deny that I had slurred speech, that I was having weakness on one side, but I was like, ‘Well, this is a dream, right?’ What essentially happened is I had a part of my brain that died.”
To recover from the stroke, Lee stopped filming her show and started physical and occupational therapy, which she considered “very basic things” to get under control.
“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,” she emphasized.
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Dr. Sandra Lee's 'Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Were Not Under Control'
Dr. Sandra Lee notices she still slurs her speech.
The reality star went on to consider what exactly caused the medical emergency.
“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,” she explained. “I want to think about it as a blessing in disguise. Because it reminds you to take better care of yourself.”
When Did Dr. Pimple Popper Go Back to Work After Her Stroke?
Dr. Sandra Lee admitted it was 'very scary' going back to filming after her stroke.
Lee returned to work in January, but it wasn’t easy reverting back to normal.
“It was very scary for me. There’s a lot of PTSD because it happened while I was filming the show,” she said. “Thankfully I’m pretty much back to normal…It really makes you realize how precious life is.”
The dermatologist, who is currently on blood thinners, added, “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. 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.”
