Kevin Smith Struggles to Hold Back Tears as He Talks About the Heart Attack That Almost Killed Him

For the first time in the wake of his near-fatal heart attack, Kevin Smith is detailing the minutes leading up to the massive “widowmaker” attack and the moments after his life was saved.

Smith admitted that his first reaction to the recent incident was due to a case of bad milk.

Warning: Explicit language:

“I felt a little nauseous and then I tried to lay down on the floor,” Smith said. “I wound up getting ill, like threw up, but mostly bile, so I just thought, like, you know, I got some bad milk.”

But then he knew it was time to get medical assistance when he quickly realized he was struggling to breathe: “There was a hurdle for each deep breath.”

Once he arrived at Glendale Adventist Hospital, Smith shared how he faced the two things he’s most afraid of after his doctors explained they had to reach his left anterior descending (LAD) artery through his groin area.


“My biggest fear in life: Death, No. 1. No. 2: People seeing my d—,” he said.

“I’ve gone out of my way my whole life to not let my d— be f—ing seen. Never wanted to go to a hospital or a doctor for that very reason. Don’t want to be judged, obviously small,” he said.

Though he attempted to use a “modesty rag” to prevent from being seen, one doctor stressed the silliness of his worries and the seriousness of his health. “They found that the LAD was 100 percent blocked,” he said, adding that his doctor “put a stent in and, bam, here I am. Dude literally saved my life.”

As for the cause of the heart attack, Smith shared that it could have been in his family history as he lost his father to a heart attack in June 2003.

“I went through lifestyle changes, and some s— don’t matter,” Smith said, despite losing “about 85 to 90 pounds” following the 2010 incident where he was removed from a Southwest flight due to being overweight. “Some s— you just can’t beat because it’s genetic.”

Post-procedure, Smith says he’s “got a zest for life” now.

“I am well, I’m sitting up and talking, I feel like I’m on a natural high,” he said, noting that he’s read many messages from fans and friends who hoped for a recovery.

“It was kind of like … reading your eulogy. I saw what life will be like if I die. What the reaction would be if I die and it was very sweet,” Smith said.

He also gave a shout-out to Chris Pratt, who tweeted that he would keep Smith in his prayers. “He put up a nice tweet where he’s just like, ‘Hey, man, I don’t know you that much but I’m praying for you,’ ” Smith summarized the message from “one of [his] favorite actors.”

Adding, “Apparently some people were like, ‘F— your prayers’ and attacked him. Please don’t fight over stuff like that. It’s a waste of time.”

Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith

Near the end of the 20-minute footage, the father of one became emotional when thinking about leaving behind his loved ones.

“I had a good long moment to think … I thought about my parents and how they raised me, and my brother and my sister, and my friends, and my wife and my kid, and this weird wonderful career that I’ve had for so long,” Smith said.

“I was like, content. I didn’t want to die, don’t get me wrong, but I was like, Well if the ferryman comes tonight, I got to pay him. What a ride it’s been. What an incredible f—ing ride it’s been,” he added.