Howard Stern told listeners of his Sirius satellite radio show on Monday that he won’t be divulging details about the condition of Artie Lange, troubled comedian and Stern show sidekick who was hospitalized over the weekend in New Jersey.
But Stern did respond to speculation that fellow comedian Jim Breuer is taking over for Lange, calling the rumor “Absolutely false … I don’t know where that comes from."
He blasted comments about Lange peppering his Web site’s message boards. Stern "wanted to vomit" after reading them, he said.
Stern also praised his colleague: "Artie has given this show tremendous moments of great comedy … He’s a tremendous contributor. He is a good man. Don’t forget how great he is."
Lange has been absent from the show since early December, and recently canceled several stand-up gigs — including one on New Year’s Eve.
"We can confirm that Artie is in the hospital," representatives for Lang told E! Online. "Artie has chosen to keep all information on this matter between him and his doctor. There will be no further comment."
In October, Lange missed more than a week of work after having what he described as a “mini-nervous breakdown” and near-relapse into drug addiction.
Also that month, Lange pled guilty to a DUI charge stemming from a July arrest in Tom’s River, New Jersey.
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