Amy Schumer reveals that if it weren't for the relentless scrutiny of internet trolls, she might never have discovered she had Cushing syndrome. "A year ago, the internet unleashed its fury upon me," recounted the 43-year-old comedian to Alex Cooper during the January 22nd episode of the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast. She shared how online commentators mercilessly criticized her seemingly bloated face. Initially, Schumer brushed off these remarks, thinking, "Okay, everyone, just chill." However, it wasn't long before medical professionals began chiming in with potential diagnoses, all based solely on her appearance. "Doctors were joining the conversation, saying things like, 'No, no... something's seriously wrong. Your face looks absolutely bizarre,'" she recounted.
The 'Trainwreck' star explained that doctors suspected she might be suffering from Cushing syndrome, a condition where the stress hormone cortisol lingers in the body excessively, often triggered by prolonged steroid use. This can lead to weight gain, acne, and a distinctive facial swelling known as a "moon face."
"At first, I was like, 'F—k off,'" Schumer admitted. But then it dawned on her, "Wait, I've been getting steroid injections for my scars" from her breast reduction surgery and Cesarean section (Schumer and her husband, Chris Fischer, welcomed their son Gene in 2019). "So, these steroid injections gave me Cushing syndrome—a condition I would have remained oblivious to if the internet hadn't attacked me with such ferocity," she clarified, having first disclosed her diagnosis in February 2024.
Schumer told Cooper that just before she started filming the comedy 'Kinda Pregnant,' premiering on Netflix on February 5th, "I found out about this condition and the 'moon face' I had developed. Meanwhile, I was starring in a movie where the camera was constantly in my face." She continued, "Everyone kept saying, 'You look great,' until one friend bluntly told me, 'Your face looks, like, a bit crazy.'"
Explaining how she "got rid" of Cushing syndrome ("it just had to run its course"), Schumer admitted she was worried about her on-screen appearance before filming began. "I was feeling incredibly down before starting this movie... I was struggling to see how I could star in a film with this going on," she confessed.
It took one person, director Lorraine Caffery, to boost her morale. Caffery assured her, "'You know, I think you look f—ing great.'" "I just needed one person to give me that pep talk," Schumer concluded.
