‘Scary moment’: DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba reveals in-flight emergency

Dancing With the Stars alum – who broke out into a cold sweat, got dizzy and felt her arms go numb – was rushed to hospital after plane landed

Published Apr 17, 2026  •  Last updated 19 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Carrie Ann Inaba attends the 2024 Disney Upfront at Javits Center on May 14, 2024, in New York City. Photo by Dia Dipasupil /Getty Images

Carrie Ann Inaba had a frightening health scare mid-flight that ended with an ambulance ride and a hospital visit.

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The 58-year-old Dancing With the Stars judge shared the experience on Instagram, posting clips from the ordeal after suddenly falling ill on a flight from Los Angeles to New York, according to People.

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“Yesterday was quite a day,” she wrote, explaining she had been travelling for something important when she was hit with intense symptoms.

“I very suddenly felt quite ill … it seemed like food poisoning,” she said, adding she broke out into a cold sweat, got dizzy and even felt her arms go numb.

Carrie Ann Inaba shared a clip from inside an ambulance on Thursday. The Dancing With the Stars judge, who lives with multiple autoimmune conditions, suddenly felt ill on a flight from Los Angeles to New York. Photo by Carrie Ann Inaba /Instagram

Living with several autoimmune conditions

Inaba, who often manages her health issues on her own, said this situation felt different – and scarier.

She lives with multiple autoimmune conditions, including lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, reports Page Six. Because of that, she usually travels prepared with a health kit; but this episode caught her off guard.

Trying not to alarm others during turbulence, she initially locked herself in the plane’s restroom to cope.

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“I didn’t want to have anyone else put themselves at risk,” she explained.

But when her “arms went numb,” she knew it was time to get help.

‘Scary moment’

Flight attendants and doctors onboard stepped in to assist, per People. Once the plane landed, paramedics were waiting and rushed her to the emergency room.

She later described a “scary moment” during the ambulance ride when her blood pressure dropped.

According to USA Today, once she stabilized, Inaba was discharged and continued receiving IV fluids at her hotel. She clarified the incident wasn’t directly tied to her Sjogren’s diagnosis, but said living with chronic illness has taught her to trust her body when something feels wrong.

Dancing With the Stars alum Charlotte Jorgensen recently revealed she was one of the survivors of a deadly Air Canada plane crash in New York City on March 22, 2026. Photo by Getty Images/Instagram

Another DWTS alum has been making headlines

Former Dancing With the Stars pro dancer Charlotte Jorgensen has revealed she survived last month’s Air Canada Express Flight 8646 crash at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, according to the Toronto Sun.

The crash happened when the plane struck a fire truck during landing.

Jorgensen praised the pilots –Capt. Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther– who died in the collision, crediting them with saving passengers’ lives.

“They made the ultimate sacrifice so that we all could live … I am indebted to them and my thoughts are with their families,” she said, per the Toronto Sun.

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