Iconic Carlo's Bakery owner and TV personality Bartolo "Buddy" Valastro Jr., better known as the Cake Boss, has been responsible for a wide variety of unbelievable cakes—but now the star is worried his baking career may have come to an end. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the Cake Boss star expressed his concern that he may never be able to bake again following an accident at the bowling alley in his home that resulted in him being unable to use his right hand. Now, after his fourth hand injury in mid-February, Valastro still has numbness and limited mobility in two of his right fingers, E! News reports, but his spirits are much higher, especially as he rings in his 44th birthday on Mar. 3.
Keep reading for more on Valastro's recovery and baking future, and for more entertainment news, check out Kenan Thompson Says This SNL Guest Made the Cast "Extremely Uncomfortable."
Valastro's injury happened in late September.
Valastro posted a photo in the hospital after his first surgery. "I was involved in a terrible accident a few days ago…What do you think of my new accessory?" he wrote, referring to his large arm bandage.
Valastro's representative told ET that the accident happened due to a malfunction with the bowling pinsetter. When Valastro tried to clear the bowling pin from the mechanism, his hand got lodged and compressed inside the machine. Valastro was unable to dislodge his hand, so a metal rod slowly impaled his right hand three times between his ring and middle finger. And for more up-to-date celebrity news sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Valastro has had four surgeries, with more potentially on the horizon.
On Feb. 16, Valastro had his fourth hand surgery, and he's continuing to work through physical therapy. "My family is nursing me back to health," he posted on social media after his fourth surgery. "Thank you for all your prayers, positive thoughts and well wishes! #roadtorecovery"
Depending on how physical therapy goes, Valastro may have to undergo up to two more surgeries, he told ET. And for more stars who've had health issues recently, check out Gwyneth Paltrow Just Revealed the 3 COVID Symptoms She Can't Get Rid of.
Valastro is concerned he may never be able to bake again.
While talking with People in November, Valastro confessed, "I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to ice a cake the same way or be as fast as I used to be. That's still to be discovered, and not knowing kind of sucks."
The world of baking would not be the same without Valastro's skill and charm, but he hopes he'll get full function of his hand back. "They say this healing process could take up to nine months to a year because they reconnected nerves and stuff and you just don't know how they're going to grow," he told E! News in December. "I think they're starting to work, but I just won't know until we're further down the road. … I don't know if I'm going to be 60 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent, hopefully 100 percent." And for celebrities who've left their careers behind, check out These Huge Stars Almost Quit Hollywood.
He's prepared to relearn everything with his left hand.
Earlier on, Valastro was worried he may never regain use of his right hand, and may have to learn to use his left. "I can assure you and everybody—again, whether I have to do a left-handed, a 30 percent—I'm going to try to do it with all of my heart," Valastro told ET in November.
That optimism, and the support of his famiy and fans, seems to have carried Valastro through. On his birthday on Mar. 3, he was in good spirits and his wife made him his favorite cake. "Thank you to my amazing family that I love so much for making every Birthday feel special and to the love of my life @lisavalastro04 for making me an amazing cake that I look forward to every year!" he wrote on social media. And for more legendary reality stars, these are The 30 Most Successful Reality TV Personalities of the Last 30 Years.
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