Andrew Dice Clay Still Takes Stage After Diagnosis

Andrew Dice Clay has a new bit in his standup act that's not intended to be funny. The comedian has announced that he has Bell's palsy, People reports. The condition temporarily paralyzes facial muscles, usually on one side. The cause isn't known, and there's no treatment, per Johns Hopkins. But it usually goes away in a few weeks or months. Clay posted on Instagram that it wouldn't keep him from seeing Tony Bennett's 95th birthday concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall, with Lady Gaga; Clay and Gaga worked together on A Star is Born. Clay also put up a photo of him performing at a club in New Jersey, writing, "It don't matter … palsy face or not !!! Untouchable."

The comedian received the diagnosis a few weeks ago and has reported no other symptoms. When he stepped onstage this week in a New Jersey club, some members of the audience thought the droopy face and slurred speech were part of his act, per TMZ. He told the audience the reason for the changes and went on with the humor. Clay has no plans to cancel his upcoming shows. The 63-year-old stopped doing stand-up for 20 years, resuming in 2019. Fewer than 200,000 people in the US are afflicted with Bell's palsy each year. (More Andrew Dice Clay stories.)