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- Rupert Murdoch reportedly broke his back after he fell while aboard his son Lachlan's yacht in 2018.
- The media giant also reportedly tore an Achilles tendon and struggled with cases of pneumonia and COVID-19.
- A new report from Vanity Fair detailed previously unreported health scares experienced by the 91-year-old media mogul.
Rupert Murdoch reportedly fell and sustained serious injuries while aboard his son's yacht in 2018, an incident that led the media mogul to spend a night in a European hospital parking lot, waiting under a tent until he could be flown back to the US.
A lengthy new report from Vanity Fair detailed several previously unreported health scares experienced by the 91-year-old CEO and chairman of News Corporation, including a broken back from the yacht fall, a torn Achilles, seizures, and bouts with pneumonia and COVID-19.
Citing sources close to the family, Vanity Fair reported that the media mogul and his then-wife Jerry Hall were on Lachlan Murdoch's yacht in January 2018 when Rupert fell while using the bathroom overnight, waking Hall, who found him in pain on the floor.
The yacht, which was sailing near Guadeloupe, reportedly docked at the nearest island to take Murdoch to the hospital, per Vanity Fair.
However, the hospital on the island was allegedly closed due to a recent fire, so Murdoch was forced to spend a night in the hospital parking lot on a gurney under a tent until a family plane arrived to fly him back to the states to receive medical care.
Sources close to the family said he was in critical condition, and "kept almost dying," according to Vanity Fair.
The incident reportedly left Murdoch bedridden for months, during which he was spoon fed by Hall as he recovered. According to the report, Murdoch later tore an Achilles tendon after tripping over a box in March 2019, leaving him wheelchair-bound. He also reportedly spent time in the hospital with pneumonia and seizures during this convalescent period.
Murdoch was said to be much more careful during the pandemic than Fox News hosts were advising the public to be, and people close to the family told Vanity Fair that he and Hall stayed home for months at a time in 2020. Murdoch was also one of the first people to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as Fox hosts criticized preventative measures like the vaccines and masks.
Despite his precautions, Murdoch was reportedly diagnosed with COVID-19 just days before his granddaughter's wedding in July 2022, and appeared "very weak," with Lachlan "holding him up to get from place to place," a guest told Vanity Fair.
Representatives for Murdoch and Hall did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.