Rudy Giuliani's Health Struggles Throughout The Years, Explained

When most people think of Rudy Giuliani these days, they're reminded of the many humiliating situations the aging former mayor of New York City put himself in as one of Donald Trump's lawyers. He has suffered through more than mere embarrassment, though, with Giuliani experiencing his fair share of major health issues over the years. For instance, he spent several months of 2025 in either a wheelchair or a body brace while recovering from a terrifying accident in August.

Giuliani and his spokesperson, Ted Goodman, were driving southbound on I-93 in Manchester, New Hampshire, when a woman in distress attempted to flag them down, claiming that she was a victim of domestic violence. The pair pulled over to help the woman, calling the police and waiting on the side of the road for them and an ambulance to arrive. When they did, Giuliani and Goodman entered their rental car and prepared to drive away, but were swiftly struck from behind by another vehicle. Giuliani was sent to the hospital, with the incident leaving him with a fractured thoracic vertebra and lacerations to his arm and legs. Due to the injury to his spine, the lawyer was required to temporarily use of a wheelchair while his vertebra healed. 

Over a year before his crash, Giuliani was fighting in court to prove that he had a lung disease developed from the effects of 9/11. However, even though he was mayor at the time of the terrorist attack on New York's World Trade Centers, Giuliani's efforts were seen as a way to delay payments from losing his $148 million case to Georgia election workers he defamed. lawyers voiced concern with the politician's ability to travel given the health condition and a recent injured knee. The judge on Giuliani's case ruled that there was not sufficient medical evidence and ruled against him. 

When his time as mayor neared its end, Rudy Giuliani announced his campaign for the Senate while he completed his term. In the midst of managing both campaign work and mayoral duties, the disbarred lawyer held a press conference to announce that he'd had a biopsy at Mount Sinai Medical Center. The test confirmed his doctor's concerns, with the mayor revealing that he had an early stage of prostate cancer. At the time of the conference, he was unsure of future treatment plans, but was certain that caring for his health would take priority over his Senate campaign. 

The diagnosis was especially close to home for the former mayor, whose father passed away due to prostate cancer in 1981. Though certain cancers can be genetic, the politician was still shocked by the news. Giuliani did eventually drop out of the Senate race to focus on his treatment, which was eventually successful. Just five years later, the New Yorker boasted a cancer-free diagnosis, becoming an advocate for cancer screenings and an honorary chairman of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition.