Anthony Anderson is opening up about an unexpected health scare that struck during his time filming in New Orleans—a bout of gout triggered by overindulging in the city’s legendary seafood.
Appearing on the April 28th episode of the popular podcast “Armchair Expert” with host Dax Shepard, the Black-ish star recalled how his love of shellfish led to severe pain in his big toe—a common site for gout flare-ups.
“I was living in New Orleans for a while, shooting a show there,” said the 54-year-old actor, likely referring to the 2007 crime series K-Ville. “I was eating nothing but seafood and shellfish.”
Unaware of the risk, Anderson was consuming high-purine foods daily. Purines, found in abundance in shellfish like crab, shrimp, and scallops, break down into uric acid in the body. When uric acid builds up to excessive levels, it forms sharp crystals in joints—resulting in gout, a form of inflammatory arthritis.
“I went to kick a door in during a scene and thought I broke my toe,” Anderson said. He pushed through the pain and completed filming, only to collapse later that night during a chase sequence.
Still convinced it was a fracture, Anderson visited a doctor who surprised him with the diagnosis. “They were like, ‘You might have the gout.’ I was like, ‘No, ain’t got the gout,’” he laughed. But X-rays confirmed the truth.
“They said, ‘Good news—you didn’t break your toe. Bad news—you got the gout,’” Anderson recalled with a grimace.
Adding a touch of humor to the painful experience, he described the intense heat and redness in his toe: “If you look at it, it looks red hot. If you put your hand above it, you can feel the heat coming off it.”
Anderson’s health history also includes type 2 diabetes, a condition that further increases the risk of gout. According to the CDC, treatment typically involves anti-inflammatory medications, dietary changes, and avoiding or limiting high-purine foods.
While he has since recovered, Anderson’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for others indulging in purine-rich delicacies without moderation.
