What to Know
Jenny McCarthy recently opened up about how mold exposure caused her a year-long health ordeal that resulted in growths out of her eyes and bone infections. During the March 31 episode of Maria Menounos’ “Heal Squad” podcast, the former Playboy model revealed she was diagnosed with mycotoxin poisoning in December after enduring a series of failed surgeries and chronic infections.
The John Tucker Must Die alum said the crisis began with an improperly cleaned root canal.
“I had three of these toxic pools hiding under my wisdom teeth, so we did root cavitations and it just kept getting infected. I’m like, ‘What is happening?’ I’m on surgery, like, number eight.”
She learned she had a jawbone infection that later spread to her eyes, prompting growths to develop.
“It looked like the nastiest whitehead. A pus-filled eraser top,” McCarthy explained, describing the growths that developed on her eyes and returned even after surgical removal.
McCarthy described six months of “living hell” before doctors determined her fragile immune system made her highly susceptible to mold, which can hide in the gut and nose. She said she felt relieved to finally have an explanation for her illnesses.
McCarthy started a treatment plan in January that is expected to last one year. It includes a nasal spray, approximately 100 supplements, and extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation (EBOO), a process meant to treat chronic illnesses that draws blood from the body to filter it before returning it.
McCarthy is no stranger to opening up about her health.
In May 2025, she told People that she used to follow a strict vegan diet, which ended up causing her gastrointestinal issues.
“My bloat was so bad that it always made me feel like I was about three months pregnant,” she said. “And I’m sorry if this is too TMI, but I was a complicated person who only went to the bathroom once every 14 days.”
Fortunately, she made a major change regarding what went into her body. “I went on the carnivore diet,” she revealed, making a complete 180-degree turn from what she was eating. “I was so against it, but my doctor was like, you’ve tried everything but this, so you’re going carnivore.”
Fortunately, her new animal-based diet, which she said mostly consists of grass-fed meat, was the perfect antidote. “I’ve got to tell you, it saved my gut. I go to the bathroom every single day now — and it made me feel like I was 25 again,” she said.
—
Kelly Corbett; syracuse.com; (TNS) || ©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit syracuse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
