Veteran talk show host Larry King, who was recently hospitalized with COVID-19, was removed from the intensive care unit at a Los Angeles hospital and is breathing on his own, a spokesman said on Monday.
King was transferred to the ICU on New Year’s Eve and was receiving oxygen, but is now breathing on his own, said David Theall, a spokesman for Ora Media, a production company formed by King.
The 87-year-old broadcasting legend shared a video call with his three children, Theall said.
King’s family told CBS News in a statement that he “continues to improve. He and his children thank everyone for their support and can’t wait to take him home.
“They also thank the doctors and staff at Cedars-Sinai and hospitals elsewhere who are providing care for so many people in extraordinary circumstances.”
King, who spent many years as a radio DJ overnight, is best known as the host of the “Larry King Live” talk show, which aired on CNN’s prime time from 1985 to 2010.
As CBS News previously reported, King has had a series of health scares in recent years, including suffering a near-fatal stroke in May 2019. King was in a coma for several weeks after undergoing a cardiac procedure that same year. He had a heart attack in 1987 and also fought prostate and lung cancer.
Caroline Linton contributed reporting.