HOBOKEN, NJ—Comedian and Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange was hospitalized over the weekend as a result of nine apparently self-inflicted stab wounds that nearly killed him, the New York Post is reporting.
The comic, who appeared as a presenter at the 2008 AVN Awards in Las Vegas, was hospitalized Saturday but there was no word at the time what the causes were. Even Stern, who commented on the matter Monday morning on his show, remained tight-lipped about what had happened, saying he preferred to respect the family's privacy.
"We all have our demons," Stern said. "Artie has given this show tremendous moments of great comedy. He's a tremendous contributor. He is a good man. Don't forget how great he is." Stern also denied that Lange, who was on a month-long absence from the radio show, was quitting and that Sirius host Jim Breuer was going to replace him. "Absolutely false... I don't know where that comes from."
According to the Post, "Lange's frantic mom called 911 Saturday morning after she entered his Hoboken apartment and found the bloodied funnyman, a law-enforcement source said. Lange sustained six 'hesitation wounds' and three deep plunges. A source close to Lange's management team confirmed that the Howard Stern sidekick stabbed himself, adding that his mother had come to visit him that day to drop off food. Surgeons managed to save Lange despite heavy bleeding."
There is currently no update about Lange's condition on his website, which notes that his upcoming appearances have been cancelled.
