Overview
- Kerner first woke with back pain in autumn 2025 and says a portion of a disc ruptured in January, which he reports pressed on nerves and caused months of worsening pain.
- He performed at Berlin Fashion Week while on daily infusions and strong painkillers and says he became immobile the next day, was taken by ambulance and underwent emergency surgery in February.
- Kerner posted on Instagram that he experienced breathing problems during and after the operation that clinicians were able to manage.
- He describes November 2025 to July 2026 as the hardest period of his life, reporting intense fear, prolonged crying and the end of a relationship, and says he has since adopted a healthier diet, regular exercise and a changed mindset.
- Kerner plans to leave Berlin for roughly six months starting in October to regroup in Los Angeles, a move he frames as a personal and professional reset that could slow his public schedule and refocus his priorities.