What Happened to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell? Illness & Absence Explained

MSNBC’s veteran host Lawrence O’Donnell lately had a two-week absence, causing viewers to ponder about his health and comeback. Initially intending for a brief vacation, O’Donnell prolonged his time off due to an unanticipated bout of sickness.

Here’s what we know about Lawrence O’Donnell’s absence and current status.

Is The Last Word’s Lawrence O’Donnell still sick?

Excitedly, I’m thrilled to announce that after my recovery, I’ve made my way back to the host’s chair on The Last Word on MSNBC! It feels great to be back in the game and continue the conversation with you all.

After being away for two weeks, he returned to his role on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025, saying, “It’s fantastic to be back.” Originally, he had intended a one-week vacation due to feeling tired, but he prolonged it after falling ill with an infection.

On March 27, 2025, a post from O’Donnell (previously known as Twitter) mentioned that he was grateful to his team at MSNBC, specifically @CapehartJ, @AliVelshi, and @jrpsaki, for stepping in while he was away. He had unintentionally taken two weeks off due to an infection. He plans to return to The Last Word the following week. On March 31, his substitute, Symone D. Sanders-Townsend, took his place instead.

In his broadcast following his return, O’Donnell stated, “This was my first morning outside a doctor’s office in about two weeks. I’ve grown quite accustomed to it.” Subsequently, he continued with his usual news reporting and comments on the Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

O’Donnell revealed on March 12, during a live chat with Rachel Maddow, that it was actually day 52 of his work, not day 92 as he initially thought. Feeling drained at this point, he decided to take a week off. However, he promised to return and continue covering the remaining days of the first 100 days of the Trump administration (via TV Insider).

On MSNBC’s website, a fresh segment entitled “Lawrence Discusses Trump and the Rule of Law” is now live, signifying his continued involvement in their programming. At the age of 73, Lawrence O’Donnell still anchors The Last Word on weeknights at 10/9c on MSNBC.

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2025-04-15 10:18