April 16, 2026Updated April 17, 2026, 11:03 a.m. ET
Carrie Ann Inaba exclusively told USA TODAY that she is “resting up” after an in-flight medical emergency required on-board attention and a trip to the hospital.
The “Dancing with the Stars” judge, 58, was flying from Los Angeles to New York on April 15 for a campaign with pharmaceutical company Novartis to raise awareness for Sjögren’s disease, an immune system disorder she has. During the flight, Inaba began to feel “very unwell.”
“I was dizzy, nauseous, very warm and my arms started feeling numb,” Inaba said in a statement. “I received some assistance on the plane from the flight crew and a doctor onboard, which I am very thankful for, and went to the hospital upon landing, as well as received fluids.”
Authorities confirmed to USA TODAY that at about 2:37 p.m. on April 15, Port Authority Police and EMS responded to a medical emergency aboard a Delta flight that was parked at Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy Airport. The person was transported to the hospital.
Inaba posted a video on social media of her riding in the back of an ambulance and inside the hospital. The television personality wrote on Instagram that initially she believed she might be suffering from food poisoning, but ruled that out after breaking out in a cold sweat. Still, she didn’t ask for help until “my arms went numb.”
The “DWTS” star thanked everyone who helped her, including the paramedics “who treated me with care and respect in a scary moment even when my blood pressure dropped” en route to the emergency room.
Inaba said once she stabilized, she left the hospital for her hotel, where she continued to be administered IV fluids. She noted that while the incident was not connected to her Sjögren’s disease, the diagnosis has “taught me the importance of listening to and trusting my body when something doesn’t feel right.”
“I’m resting up and looking forward to getting back into my advocacy work soon,” she continued. “I’m so grateful to the people who took care of me and helped me through such a scary experience.”
Inaba has served as a judge on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” since 2005. She’s scheduled to appear at this summer’s inaugural Dancing with the Stars Con 26, a convention dedicated exclusively to the television competition.
Inaba also co-hosted CBS show “The Talk” for three seasons. In 2021, she took an extended break from the show to focus on her health.
Four months into that break, Inaba permanently left the program.