Yoko Ono Hospitalized in New York With Symptoms of 'Serious Flu,' Rep Says
The singer was taken to a hospital in New York for flu-like symptoms.
— -- Yoko Ono was hospitalized in New York Friday evening after falling ill with symptoms of a "serious flu," according to her rep.
The wife of the late Beatles singer John Lennon was taken to Mount Sinai West, formerly known as Roosevelt Hospital, just after 9 p.m. It's the same hospital Lennon died at after being shot in 1980 at the age of 40.
"To the best of my knowledge, she had symptoms along the lines of a serious flu, and her doctor thought it was best that she would get a check-up at the hospital," said her longtime spokesman, Elliot Mintz, who began representing Lennon and Ono in the 1970s. "There is no stroke and there are no life threatening circumstances as has been described to me."
"It’s just an advanced case of the flu," Mintz added of Ono, who turned 83 on February 18.
Mintz said that Ono "hopefully will be released as early as tomorrow."
Following Mintz's explanation for Ono's hospitalization, her son Sean Ono Lennon took to Twitter. "Hey guys it was only rumors from press: was NOT a stroke, just dehydration/tired. She is FINE," read his first tweet. A second tweet read, "Only stroke @yokoono had was a Stroke of Genius! :-) She's really fine. Thanks for all the well wishes! Big Love, Sean."
Mintz confirmed those were among her flu-like symptoms. "Dehydration and feeling tired would fall under the umbrella of the flu," he said.