'SNL' alum Chris Kattan undergoes emergency surgery after being diagnosed with severe pneumonia

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Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines December 8

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"Saturday Night Live" alum Chris Kattan underwent emergency surgery as he battles severe pneumonia, Fox News Digital has confirmed.

The 52-year-old comedian was rushed to a hospital Sunday after recently being diagnosed with pneumonia. 

After Kattan arrived at the hospital, it was determined he needed emergency surgery. According to reports, the operation was a success, and he is set to be released Friday.

A source close to Kattan told Fox News Digital Thursday Kattan is "doing well" and "still on pace to be released tomorrow."

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Chris Kattan underwent emergency surgery after being diagnosed with severe pneumonia.  (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

Kattan's girlfriend, Maria Libri, shared a photo of herself with the "Undercover Brother" star on Instagram Thursday.

"This sweet, sweet man of mine is on the road to recovery, after a severe pneumonia scare," she wrote, adding several red heart emojis.

"He is always taking care of us, now it’s our turn to take care of him @chriskattanofficial."

The comic had been scheduled to perform at two shows Friday at the Market Lounge & Comedy Club in Valparaiso, Indiana. On Wednesday, the comedy club announced the shows had been canceled and shared a statement from Kattan's representation. 

"Due to a medical emergency, Chris has to reschedule his shows this week," the statement said. "He is currently in the hospital and doing well but won't be able to be on stage for a few weeks. He deeply apologizes for not being able to make it but can't wait to come to Indiana on a date to be announced VERY soon!

"If you purchased tickets, they automatically will be transferred to a new date, and if you cannot make it, you will of course be offered a full refund."

Kattan starred on "SNL" from 1996 to 2003. While competing on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2017, Kattan revealed that he had broken his neck doing a stunt years earlier.

In his 2019 memoir "Baby Don’t Hurt Me: Stories and Scars From Saturday Night Live," Kattan claimed that the injury occurred during a 2001 sketch on the long-running NBC comedy series. He said he suffered from a number of health struggles after the accident and required five surgeries, two of which were paid for by NBC.

A spokesperson for NBC told Variety the network had no record for the claim and declined to provide further comment.

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In February, Kattan surprised "Celebrity Big Brother" fans when he abruptly left the show after just two weeks in season 3. The comedian later addressed speculation that his departure was due to his inability to compete in the show's physical challenges as a result of his injury. 

Kattan, left, starred on "SNL" from 1996 to 2003.  (Mary Ellen Matthews/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

"I’m fine," he told Global TV. "In order to work on other projects, I’m fine. Riding a reindeer up and down might do something to your neck and was something to look out for, but other than that, I was fine to do physical stuff."

Kattan explained that he exited the show because the isolation from family and friends on the outside proved to be too difficult for him.

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"Being cut off from the outside world is not easy. People from the outside are not allowed to communicate with you. I had some family issues going on. My stepdad is very sick, and I wasn’t able to find out how he was doing. That was hard," he told the outlet.

However, Kattan said he had established strong friendships with the other contestants and planned to stay in touch.

"They really wanted me to stay," Kattan said with a laugh. "They definitely wanted me to stay as we were getting along so well. I get along with everybody. They’re lifelong friends, forever."