Sean Hannity pushed back on viewer concerns after his on-camera appearance and raspy voice drew attention around New York primary election coverage, saying prednisone for a pinched nerve caused puffiness and laryngitis. The Fox News host, 64, also addressed ho
Sean Hannity knew the questions were coming the moment viewers noticed a change in his face and voice during his coverage and interviews earlier this month.
On June 24, the Fox News host, 64, took to an X post to address the online chatter after his swollen look and raspy sound sparked concern. He tied the shift directly to medication—writing that puffiness and a raspy voice are side-effects of a drug he’s been taking to treat a pinched nerve.
“My doctor put me on prednisone to reduce the inflammation, and while it’s helping, it led to laryngitis and some puffiness, which is normal for this medication,” Hannity wrote in the post. He added that during training he developed “a painful pinched nerve in my neck.”
Hannity also acknowledged the attention head-on. thanking “everyone who has checked in.” He said he was “fine. recovering well. and still training. ” and he closed with a message meant to undercut the speculation. writing that “a pinched nerve. a raspy voice. and a puffy face aren’t taking me out anytime soon.” He also said he was sorry to disappoint members of the left-wing media “but” the issue wasn’t something more serious.
The timing of the concerns mattered. Viewers took notice of Hannity’s appearance while he analyzed New York’s primary election results and later interviewed White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller on the evening of June 23.
Prednisone details, and why Hannity’s explanation drew support
Hannity’s explanation referenced the medication’s effects. The Cleveland Clinic describes prednisone as an anti-inflammatory medication typically prescribed to relieve pain and inflammation caused by a pinched nerve. It is a type of steroid and can be taken orally or via injection.
Hannity’s on-air admissions about avoiding the drug
This wasn’t the first time Hannity spoke about prednisone’s drawbacks. In a June 17 episode of “The Sean Hannity Show,” he said he tries to avoid prednisone whenever possible, despite struggling with laryngitis, calling it “just annoying.”
He described the usual course as taking prednisone, saying he views it as “a horrible medicine — the worst ever — that flushes your face, makes you bloated, hungry, irritable, and you know, ravenous for any food you can put in your stomach.”
The medication question sharpened after his staff reported he “sounded like crap” on the June 16 show. He then followed that shift with back-to-back interviews with Vice President JD Vance.
Hannity said the physical problem hit hard in the moments immediately before he went on air. He described the brief window between finishing a podcast and joining the program on June 16: “The five-minute interim between the time I finished the podcast and the time I actually got on the air. [my throat] closed completely and it didn’t open until I started really talking and interviewing the vice president.”.
He said he was left with few options besides continuing. “I promise you there’s nothing serious going on. This is just a typical Hannity laryngitis event. And I don’t know just what am I supposed to do. I’m on live TV, I’m on live radio. Just is what it is,” Hannity added.
Where matters stand now
In his June 24 response. Hannity’s message to viewers was direct: the puffiness and raspy voice tied to prednisone were temporary effects. not signs of a deeper health crisis. He said he’s recovering well and still training. framing the public concern as something he’s already addressed multiple times on his radio show.
Even with that, the episode showed how quickly live media can collide with online scrutiny—especially when a host’s face and voice change in the middle of high-visibility coverage.
Sean Hannity prednisone puffy face laryngitis Fox News pinched nerve JD Vance Stephen Miller New York primary election