LOS ANGELES — HGTV star Ty Pennington is reflecting on, as well as poking fun at, his near-death experience that occurred nearly two years ago.
Pennington, who stars in the upcoming movie “No Address,” told Fox News Digital that the life-threatening incident was one of his “best experiences.”
“You find out who loves you because people message you, and you’re like, ‘My God, it’s like you died.’ And people finally message you and say, ‘My God, I forgot how much I love you.’ So it was one of the best experiences because you realize how much you’re worth to other people and how much you would be missed,” Pennington said.
He continued, “Honestly, I think we should all go through something like that so you really appreciate the people that love you, because sometimes we take that for granted. And I think that’s also what a home is like, is you forget how important that is to our lives. And when it’s gone, you know, sometimes we all take that for granted.”
HGTV STAR TY PENNINGTON INTUBATED AFTER ‘BARELY BREATHING’
“And I think recently, especially here in L.A., it’s a reality that things that we take for granted could be taken away,” Pennington added, referencing the recent devastating Los Angeles fires.
Pennington quipped to Fox News Digital that he believed a few people were “excited” about the abscess in his throat so they wouldn’t have to hear his voice.
“I’m great. I honestly – you know, if you really want to get some great attention, almost die,” Pennington said.
“You know, it’s amazing. You get so much love, you know? But, like, I had no idea, like, an abscess like that could even happen. So I was, like, in shock. I’m sure a few people out there were excited: ‘Does that mean we won’t hear his annoying voice anymore?’ But unfortunately, the voice did come back, and I’m in really good health. But thanks for asking.”
WATCH: HGTV star Ty Pennington explains why his near-death incident was one of his ‘best experiences’
In July 2023, Pennington was intubated and rushed to emergency surgery after his throat closed due to an abscess in his throat.
Pennington told fans via social media that he had been hospitalized.
“From the red carpet, to the ICU… this last week has been interesting!” he wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “To shed some light on why I was MIA… Sunday I hit the red carpet for @barbiethemovie , monday I flew to Colorado to start filming in Breckenridge and Tuesday morning I woke up at 4am and could barely breathe.”
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“Turns out, that sore throat Ive had for the last month was actually an abscess which had grown so large it was closing off my airway,” Pennington continued. “Next thing I know, I was intubated and flown to the ICU in Denver. Wednesday I had surgery and yesterday afternoon I was released from the ICU.”
“A great reminder to LISTEN to your body when it’s telling you something,” he added.
WATCH: Ty Pennington jokes some people were ‘excited’ by his near-death experience
Now that Pennington’s throat and voice have healed, the “Rock The Block” star has joined Billy Baldwin and Lucas Jade Zumman to promote the drama “No Address,” which is inspired by true events and showcases a group of individuals experiencing homelessness.
According to the press release, the film “is a cinematic exploration of hope, humanity, and resilience as the characters navigate the stormy challenges of life with no physical address, showcasing the reality that homelessness could happen to anyone.”
While filming, Pennington visited a homeless encampment in Sacramento, California. The reality television star told Fox News Digital that the movie title is a real thing the homeless are experiencing.
“When you’re there, and you realize that there are people that have lost everything, you start to understand what ‘No Address’ means. It means you don’t have a mailbox anymore. You can’t get your tag for your car, so it’s going to get impounded. All of these things are going to just start to just trickle down. Next thing you know, all your possessions are gone, your identity is gone, your self-worth is gone. And the next thing you know, if you step out of your place, whatever possessions you had left could be gone. So, it’s a reality,” Pennington said.
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The most shocking aspect to Pennington was the sense of community within the homeless encampment.
WATCH: Ty Pennington visited a homeless encampment in Sacramento while filming ‘No Address’
“There was a community within that community where people were looking out for each other, but at the same time, everyone was in fear because they didn’t know if in the middle of the night they were going to get raided, things were going to get torn down and they were going to have to move to another street or move away.”
“So, you have to be on guard at the same time, but you also can never relax. But all you can rely on is your neighbor who’s living in a tent across from you to let you know, if you’ve got to go look for work or do whatever you’ve got to do, someone’s got to go look after your stuff. So you realize we’re all in a community, no matter if you’ve lost everything, and the only way to survive it is to work together,” Pennington said.
“No Address” is set to hit theaters on Feb. 28.
