Adele Reveals She Has Sciatica & Collapsed Backstage During Las Vegas Residency

Adele explained she had to be 'picked up' off the floor after the ordeal as she explained to fans why she was going to 'sit down' during a show.

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August 27, 2023 4:30PM EDT
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British Singer Adele Performs on the Stage of the Miles Davis Hall During the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux Switzerland 12 July 2008 Switzerland Schweiz Suisse MontreuxSwitzerland Montreux Jazz Festival - Jul 2008
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Image Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock

Adele revealed that she suffers from sciatica during a show part of her Las Vegas residency. The admission came when the singer, 35, explained why she was sitting down on August 26 mid-show. “I am going to sit down and rest my sciatica,” she said to the sold-out crowd at The Forum in Ceasars Palace, proceeding to tell them that a recent sciatica attack caused her to fall. “They picked my whole body up off the floor,” she added, seemingly referencing a security team who was able to assist her.

Sciatica is a painful condition that can cause pain in the back or leg area, typically caused when a  nerve root in the lumbar spine is compressed per the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Adele didn’t specify how long she’s suffered from sciatica but has previously referenced the condition when firing merch t-shirts out at the audience with an air cannon.

“I’ve got two more [shirts], I’ve just got to get over to the other side of the stage,” she said at the time. “I have to waddle these days because I have really bad sciatica,” she then also told her fans — perhaps her first public reference to the health condition. About a week ago she also said, “I’ve got sciatica today — anyone else got sciatica?”

Adele during her Las Vegas concert. (David Fisher/Shutterstock)

Adele has been riding high with the immense success of her sold-out Las Vegas residency, Weekends With Adele, which kicked off on November 18, 2022. The concert series is expected to conclude after 68 shows total on November 4, 2023. Notably, the show was meant to be much earlier in 2022, but was postponed after a number of Adele’s team contracted the COVID-19 virus.

The concert goes through a 20 song set list of some of the GRAMMY winners biggest songs, including 2011’a “Rolling in the Deep”, as well as newer hits like “Hello,” and “Easy On Me.” While fans online are pleading the star to add more dates, nothing has been confirmed by Adele’s team or by Ceasars Palace.