Stand-up comedian Jeff Ross is on the mend after being hospitalized for an allergic reaction he suffered while touring in Northern California for his one-man show “Take a Banana for the Ride.”
The actor, who appeared in the 2015 romantic comedy “The Wedding Ringer,” said that the incident occurred on Saturday night after a performance at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, California.
“Afterwards, me and the band celebrated with some Burrata ice cream at a restaurant down the street, courtesy of the nice owner. It was delicious. Seriously yummy,” Ross wrote.
“But my lips blew up, and I spent the entire night in the ER. It was my first allergic reaction ever. I guess that’s pretty remarkable, considering I’m constantly shoving whatever food is in front of me into my face.”
Ross also shared a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed at the nearby MarinHealth Medical Center, expressing gratitude to the overnight staff.
“Despite looking like Mickey Rourke at the end of ‘The Wrestler’... I will be taking a nap and [be] back on stage here in Mill Valley near San Francisco at 7:30 p.m. tonight,” he wrote, concluding his post.
After Ross shared the details about his health scare online, many of his followers flooded the comment section with well-wishes.
“Didn’t even notice a difference,” wrote comedian Josh Wolf.
“Ouch! Get well soon, Jeff!” added actor Tom Green.
“Sending you all the good vibes, Jeff!!! Get well soon,” penned stand-up comic Crystal Marie Denha.
“Feel better!” actress Leah Lamarr wrote.
“Oh no! How dare burrata do that to you!” said television personality Kelly Rizzo, the widow of actor Bob Saget. “Hope you’re better already! Love you!”
Known as the “Roastmaster General” for his repertoire of insult comedy jokes, Ross began his stand-up comedy career in 1989.
He later participated in the New York Friars Club’s celebrity roast of fellow comedian Drew Carey, which aired on Comedy Central in 1998.
Since then, he has become a fixture on “Comedy Central Roasts,” taking the stage to mock and honor celebrities over the years, including singer Justin Bieber, actors Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis, James Franco, and Charlie Sheen, and even President Donald Trump.
The New Jersey native is also known for his comedy specials “Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals” (2015), “Jeff Ross Roasts Cops” (2016), and “Jeff Ross Roasts the Border” (2017), as well as the 2019 Netflix comedy series “Historical Roasts.”
On the big screen, Ross has appeared in films such as “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle” (2000), “National Security” (2003), “Along Came Polly” (2004), and “A Novel Romance” (2011).
Ross was raised by his grandfather after his parents died. His mother succumbed to leukemia when he was 14, and his father died from drug-related causes five years later.
“I lived with my grandfather when I was an open-mic comedian, and he used to give me money for tolls and gas and a banana and say, ‘Take a banana for the ride.’
“And that went on to mean so much more than literally just a banana because bananas have thick skin, and they’re like people in that they get bruised, but they’re still good. In fact, the more bruised they are, the sweeter they get.”
In addition to Ross’s signature humor, the comedian noted that performances of “Take a Banana for the Ride” also include live music.
“I have a couple of musicians with me, and there is indeed some singing—not good singing but funny singing,” he said.
“If you love roasting and the type of comedy you see me do, I think this would be perfect for you, but it goes beyond that by telling the story of my life being a roast master and how that happened.
“It’s basically a bunch of stories about resilience and bouncing back from tough times in life. I talk about some of the people who made me who I am: Norm MacDonald, Bob Saget, and Gilbert Gottfried were people who were down for me when I was down and how I used comedy and roasting to get through all that.”
Ross is set to bring his one-man show to the Largo at the Coronet, a music venue in Los Angeles, in May.
