Legendary comedian Jerry Lewis has spent a second night in the hospital after collapsing before he was due to hand Tom Cruise a prestigious Friars Club award.
The 86-year-old entertainer was rushed to the hospital after collapsing at his Manhattan hotel with low blood sugar before he was due to take the stage Tuesday night. He was scheduled to present Cruise with the Friars Entertainment Icon Award.
A Friars rep said last night, “I just received word that Jerry Lewis will spend a second night in the hospital. He is doing well and expected now to be released on Thursday [today].”
Yesterday, there was some confusion over Lewis’ condition. It was first said he was released late Tuesday, then on Wednesday.
Lewis’ friend and rep Candi Cazau told us: “He was kept overnight as a precaution. He gets wrapped up and engrossed in his work, and he forgets to eat. He is diabetic, and it’s important for him to keep those [blood sugar] levels up. He was feeling dizzy, and since he was not in Las Vegas where his doctors are, they did take him to the hospital as a precautionary measure. He is feeling great and is anxious to get back up and back to work.”
Sources told us that Cruise had personally asked for Lewis to present him his top honor — previously only bestowed by the Friars Club on Douglas Fairbanks, Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra.
Cruise told the crowd, “I am sorry Jerry couldn’t be here tonight, but I know he is going to be fine.” He added that he grew up watching Lewis’ work on TV: “As a young child and seeing what he did as an entertainer, that made a huge difference.” He also praised Lewis’ “staggering” work to raise billions to fight muscular dystrophy. Cruise continued, “I have great respect for Jerry, the world would definitely be a different place without him.”
“Rock of Ages” star Cruise came with son Connor, 17, and daughter Suri, 6. Cruise cuddled Suri during the ceremony [photo, opposite page] as stars including Bill Hader, Kevin Pollak and Cuba Gooding Jr. paid tribute to him.