Boobay has seizure on stage during Cagayan show, now 'okay'

Filipino comedian Boobay had a seizure on stage during his show in Aparri, Cagayan on May 7, but is already doing well.

A clip circulating on X showed Boobay performing with fellow comedian and GMA star Pepita Curtis during the town fiesta. The camera was focused on Pepita for a while but quickly shifted to Boobay when he collapsed out of nowhere. Pepita then dropped his microphone and approached Boobay.

On early May 8, Pepita thanked the crowd and told them Boobay was doing okay.

“OK na po si Boobay nagpapahinga na po dito sa hotel,” he said.

Sa mga taga Aparri, maraming salamat po!!! OK na po si Boobay nagpapahinga na po dito sa hotel. Maraming salamat po!!! God bless po!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

— Pepita Curtis (@pepitaCurtis) May 7, 2024

In an interview with entertainment outlet PEP.ph, Boobay said his seizure was triggered due to the flashing lights when they were performing.

“Pero okay naman po ako,” he is quoted as saying. “Tinapos pa rin po namin ni Pepita ang show kagabi.”

He said he and Pepita were at the airport to travel back to Manila.

It wasn’t the first time that Boobay had a seizure in public.

During his guesting on GMA Network’s Fast Talk with Boy Abunda in April 2023, he suddenly couldn’t speak and only nodded to the veteran host in response.

Later on, he explained that it was an absence seizure, which started happening after suffering a mild stroke in 2016.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a seizure is a “burst of uncontrolled electrical activity between brain cells that causes temporary abnormalities in muscle tone or movements.”

One type is absence seizure, or when someone blanks out or stares into space for a few seconds. It often occurs with other types of seizures that cause muscle jerking, twitching, and shaking.