Larry King battling COVID-19 in LA hospital

King's family has been restricted from visiting him

Legendary talk show host Larry King has been hospitalized with COVID-19.

According to CNN Business, a source close to the family said that King, 87, has been hospitalized for more than a week at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and family has been restricted from visiting him.

Larry King poses for portrait as the Friars Club and Crescent Hotel honor him for his 86th birthday at Crescent Hotel on November 25, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

The former CNN interviewer who hosted “Larry King Live” for 25 years before retiring in 2010, has Type 2 diabetes and experienced a series of health issues over the years including several heart attacks and quintuple bypass surgery in 1987.

The former host went public in 2017 with his lung cancer diagnosis, but was cleared after a successful surgical procedure. He underwent surgery again in 2019 to address angina that caused chest pains.

King was inspired to start The Larry King Cardiac Foundation with the mission “to save hearts through promoting prevention and enabling critical care.”

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King’s most recent social media post was on November 26. He wished his 2.4 million followers a Happy Thanksgiving.

In July and August 2019, two of King’s children unexpectedly passed away. Andy King, 65, died of a heart attack and Chaia King, 52, died shortly after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

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Celebrities took to social media to send their prayers to the beloved talk show host such as Star Trek actor George Takei who tweeted, “Wishing Larry King a speedy recovery.”

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend writer and producer Audrey Wauchope Lieberstein shared that she was a nanny for King’s younger children, who she said are his life.

Actress and Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter tweeted, “Thinking of my dear friend Larry King and rooting for him. PLEASE wear a mask and do your best to help stop the spread. We can protect one another if we all do our part.”

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