Betty Who Details Terrifying E. Coli Illness After Sudden Festival Cancellation

Pop favorite Betty Who is speaking out after a severe health scare unexpectedly sidelined her from a massive weekend performance. The Australian singer and Broadway talent revealed on social media that she came down with a brutal E. coli infection, leaving her the sickest she has ever been in her life. The 34-year-old performer, whose real name is Jessica Newham, opened up to her Instagram followers about the distressing medical situation. According to her post, she was already starting to feel unwell before leaving for a scheduled high-profile show in New York. However, she decided to hop on a flight on Thursday with full intentions of toughing out the discomfort and taking the stage anyway.

Why Did Betty Who Cancel Her Broadway Festival Appearance?

Things quickly took a turn for the worse the moment her plane touched down on the East Coast. Recognizing that her symptoms were far too serious to ignore, the artist admitted she immediately knew medical assistance was required. That dangerous turn of events forced her to drop out of her prime performance slot at the newly launched event known simply as The Festival. The three-day musical theater extravaganza, held at the scenic Hutton Brickyards overlooking the Hudson River in Ulster County, was widely promoted as a theater lovers' dream weekend. Designed to bring festival energy to the stage world, the event kicked off on Friday and ran through Sunday. Unfortunately, while fans gathered along the chic riverfront hotel grounds, the hitmaker was stuck recovering from the severe bacterial attack.

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Who Played The Hudson Valley Broadway Festival?

Despite her absence, the inaugural gathering still boasted an incredible roster of legendary musical theater talent. Stage powerhouses like Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Alex Newell, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Eva Noblezada all took the stage to entertain the crowds across the three-day bash. The star-packed lineup also featured memorable appearances from Broadway legends Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, who famously starred in the original production of *Rent*. Though missing out on the epic weekend was a huge bummer for fans, the singer expressed relief at finally coming up for air after enduring one of the roughest physical weeks of her career.