Sinbad, after he suffered a debilitating stroke in 2020, announced his comedy comeback on Wednesday — with Pasadena’s historic Ice House the site for his “homecoming.”
The comic, known for “A Different World” and “The Sinbad Show,” announced his return to stage in an Instagram video posted hours before his sold-out set. Ahead of the show, he told followers that after time away from the spotlight he was hoping to “get my feet wet” with a pair of shows at the Ice House. He revealed in his video that the shows — the second will be May 10 — will also be a family affair, with daughter and comedian Paige Bryan joining in on the fun as one of the opening acts. “She talk more trash than I ever talked,” he teased. Sinbad added that comedian Chase Anthony is also part of the opening lineup.
“It’s just the beginning of me coming back,” the 69-year-old comic said, later adding, “I’m so looking forward to these shows. I got so much stuff [to] talk about. I’m going to be talking more trash than I ever talked.”
Sinbad had an ischemic stroke — the result of a blood clot that traveled from his heart to his brain — in 2020. His family previously detailed the comic’s health scare, post-stroke surgeries and recovery in a now-private website “The Journey Forward.” In a statement published in November 2022, the site revealed that he received “intense therapy” at the California Rehabilitation Institute and has learned how to walk again.
Though the stroke forced Sinbad to retreat from the public eye for the most part, he and his family have stood firm that his career is far from over. Additionally, in recent years the comic teased a comeback and made minor public appearances, including a Zoom cameo during a “Different World” cast reunion that stopped at historically Black colleges and universities in 2024. He also attended a tribute to him during the Netflix Is a Joke Festival that year.
In a video shared after the reunion cameo, Sinbad poked fun at audiences skeptical about his comeback. He said: “You can’t believe it? You better believe it. Miracles happen.”
Sinbad, elsewhere in his Wednesday Instagram video, thanked supporters for their well-wishes and prayers.
“It worked.”
