As North Carolina musician Josh King advanced all the way to the top eight on season 23 of “American Idol,” he bravely admitted how scared he was to lose the friendships he’d forged with his fellow finalists once the show was over. But on June 9, 2025, King revealed that those friends were still there for him as he spent several days in the hospital.

King, 23, posted a photo of himself in his hospital bed flanked by two friends from “American Idol” — Skylie Marie Thompson, who made it to the Hollywood Week Showstopper round, and top 24 singer Grayson Torrence. They were part of a songwriting retreat that King had traveled to Virginia to be part of, hosted by another Hollywood Week contestant, Nina Daig, he wrote on Instagram.

Although the weekend started well, King woke up one morning in “excruciating pain,” barely able to move, and wound up in the hospital for several days. Doctors diagnosed the singer and piano player with a potentially life-threatening condition, but King said he’s on the mend and grateful for his “American Idol” family, near and far, who rallied around him.

Doctors Diagnosed Josh King With Life-Threatening Condition Called SIRS
After the first two days of the songwriting retreat held at Daig’s house, King wrote that, after feeeling a little “iffy,” he “went to sleep and woke up the next morning entirely unable to move. I was in such excruciating pain that I evacuated anything that remained in my stomach 😀”

Daig’s husband took King to the hospital, where they found his resting heart rate was high, a “steady 125-130 bpm for most of Saturday,” he wrote, “and any ounce of movement hurt like hell.”

“I don’t quite know what it was exactly,” King shared, adding that the doctors diagnosed him with SIRS, or systemic inflammatory response syndrome, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as “a life-threatening medical emergency caused by your body’s overwhelming response to a stressor” which can include an “infection, trauma or a worsening health condition.”

“The doctor said there was a ton of strain on my heart as a result,” King wrote, “and I had to be monitored for the next two nights. The cause was a combination of things, dehydration, fatigue, stress, heat exhaustion, etc.”

King said he was released from the hospital on June 9 was “on the mend” but that he’d been “severely unlucky regarding the state of my health” in recent weeks.

‘American Idol’ Friends Wish Josh King Well After Harrowing Weekend
Ryan Seacrest, Josh KingEntertainmentNOW/Disney
Ryan Seacrest and Josh King on the May 5, 2025, episode of “American Idol”
King, who performed on the “American Idol” season finale with Jessica Simpson, concluded his post by writing, “Idol family was there for me once again when I needed them :)”

Torrence posted a selfie video on the night of June 9 to tell fans, “Josh is doing a lot better, he’s out of the hospital,” but that he would be staying in Virginia for several days and they’d be able to work on songs as he recovers. She encouraged fans to leave kind words and prayers for him in the comment section of his post.

Among those who’ve already commented are some of his fellow “American Idol” finalists, including third-place finisher Breanna Nix, who wrote, “oh no! I’m happy you’re out!! Please rest though!!!”

Canaan James Hill, who was attending the BET Awards, wrote, “Glad to hear you’re okay brother! Love you man 🤝🏾💯”

Ché Chesterman chimed in, “Wish you well brother ❤️” and Desmond Roberts wrote, “So glad you’re alive man🙏🏾❤️”

During his “American Idol” journey, King was heralded for encouraging the “American Idol” judges to save 16-year-old Mattie Pruitt instead of him, advancing her into the top 7. Host Ryan Seacrest also revealed that King has volunteered every week for the last several years with young patients at Seacrest Studios inside Charlotte’s Levine Children’s Hospital.