In stand up comedy, silence is brutal. In social media, it’s the keyboard clacking of commenters.
“A year ago, the internet really came for me,” Amy Schumer told Alex Cooper on a January 2025 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. The stand-upcomedian turned Hollywood star was suffering from a sudden medical disorder, and it was noticeably affecting her face. The wheels of Hollywood, however, kept turning. Work had to be done, then promoted on TV — bringing attention to her condition nationwide.
Speaking with Cooper, she’s now come forward to explain how she received the condition and how she’s doing much better now.
“So I got ... these steroid injections and so it gave me this thing called Cushing syndrome — which I wouldn’t have known if the internet hadn’t come for me so hard,” she said.
Does Amy Schumer have Cushing syndrome?
Back in February 2024, Schumer appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” to promote her dramedyseries “Life & Beth.” Online commenters, however, were focused elsewhere.
The “Trainwreck” star was, according to her, suffering from “moon face” — a symptom of Cushing syndrome that causes the face to look unusually round.
“I learned I had this condition, and that I had something called moon face, and I’m starring in a movie — and there’s a camera right in my face,” she explained on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “Everyone’s like, ‘You look great.’”
She said a more blunt friend later told her “‘Your face is looking, like, a little bit insane.’”
What is Cushing syndrome?
Cushing syndrome is a hormonal disorder. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, it’s caused by a long-term overabundance of cortisol — a steroid hormone responsible for regulating stress. The disorder primarily affects adults 20 to 50 years old, but people suffering from Type 2 diabetes or obesity are at a heightened risk.
Cushing syndrome’s most common symptoms include increased fat around the neck, a fatty hump between the shoulders, a round face (moon face), fatigue, depression, fragile skin and high blood pressure. The disorder comes with significant health risks too, including heart attack and stroke. Treatment often includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or cortisol-reducing medication.
It’s quite rare, with an estimated 40 to 70 out of every 1 million people affected by “endogenous” cases. Endogenous cases involve Cushing syndrome as caused by something internally, rather than as a side effect of medication. Most cases of Cushing syndrome, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, are caused by the long-term overuse of glucocorticoid medications.
Having had breast reduction and a Cesarean section procedure previously, Schumer was taking such medications to remove her surgery scars.
Amy Schumer reacts to ‘moon face’ comments
While promoting her Hulu series on Feb. 15, 2024, Schumer acknowledged the attention she was getting on social media for the condition.
“Binge both full seasons of ‘Life and Beth’ and thank you so much for everyone’s input about my face!” She wrote on Instagram. “I’ve enjoyed feedback and deliberation about my appearance as all women do for almost 20 years. And you’re right it is puffier than normal right now.”
The comedian also took a moment to address an unrelated condition: endometriosis.
“I have endometriosis an auto immune disease that every woman should read about,” she explained. “There are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now but I’m okay. Historically women’s bodies have barely been studied medically compared to men. The book ‘All in Her Head’ does a good job explaining this. I also believe a woman doesn’t need any excuse for her physical appearance and owes no explanation. But I wanted to take the opportunity to advocate for self love and acceptance of the skin you’re in. Like every other women/person some days I feel confident and good as h— and others I want to put a bag over my head. But I feel strong and beautiful and so proud of this TV show I created. Wrote. Starred in and directed. Maybe just maybe we can focus on that for a little. I had backup dancers on Fallon but my face is the headline.”
Schumer later revealed to journalist Jessica Yellin for Substack’s News Not Noise column that she was suffering from Cushing syndrome at the time.
According to the comedian, diagnosing the disease was no easy task. The end result of the tests, however, was good news.
“I was also in MRI machines four hours at a time, having my veins shut down from the amount of blood drawn and thinking I may not be around to see my son grow up,” Schumer said. “So finding out I have the kind of Cushing that will just work itself out, and I’m healthy was the greatest news imaginable.”
The response she received online about her “moon face” drew worse criticism.
“The shaming and criticism of our ever-changing bodies is something I have dealt with and witnessed for a long time,” she later added. “I want so much for women to love themselves and be relentless when fighting for their own health in a system that usually doesn’t believe them.”
Fast forward to the new year, Schumer’s Cushing syndrome is doing much better. The Hollywood star “got rid” of the disorder ahead of filming for “Kinda Pregnant,” explaining to Cooper that “it just has to work itself out.”
“I was feeling really down on myself before I started filming this movie ...,” she explained. “I was, like, really having trouble figuring out how I was going to star in a movie while I had this going on.”
That’s when director Lorraine Caffery gave her a much-needed boost, telling the comedian she looked great.
“I just needed one person to just amp me up,” Schumer said.
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