Journalist Katie Couric is opening up about a recent health scare that left her convinced she was having a stroke.
“It was Saturday, June 27, 2026. But when I was asked the month, the year, and who was president, I got them wrong,” Couric, 69, revealed in a Substack post shared on Monday, July 6. “I wasn’t sure of the month. I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president. Let me explain.”
Couric shared that the last thing she remembers from that day is heading to the Aspen Institute with husband John Molner. She had spoken on two panels at the institute, but she doesn’t recall either of her talks.
Molner, 63, then took over the blog post to fill in the gaps in his wife’s memory. He explained that an intern tracked him down after the panels to let him know that Couric was feeling dizzy and “out of it.” They ultimately went to Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH), where the media personality struggled to answer basic questions, including the current month, year and the names of her grandchildren.
“The doctor turned to the nurses and said, ‘Initiate stroke protocol,’” Molner recalled.
Thankfully, an MRI revealed that Couric had not suffered a stroke. However, her brain “fog” worsened over time.
“She reintroduced herself to the nurses every time they came into the room,” Molner wrote.
Couric was diagnosed with transient global amnesia (TGA), a sudden episode of confusion and memory loss with an unknown cause, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Couric was admitted to AVH for the evening, where she ultimately began to return to normal cognition around 9 p.m.
“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious,” Couric wrote, taking over the blog post again. “So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
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Neurologist David Perlmutter, M.D., FACN, broke down TGA in a Tuesday, July 7, follow-up interview with Katie Couric Media.
“TGA is a sudden, temporary loss of the ability to form new memories,” he explained. “A person is awake, alert, knows who they are, recognizes family members, and can carry on a conversation, but they can’t remember what just happened a few minutes ago. They often ask the same questions repeatedly, such as, ‘Where are we?’ or ‘How did I get here?’ because each answer is quickly forgotten. In fact, this constant repetition of the same question is a symptom I have observed in every patient with this disorder I have ever treated.”
According to Dr. Perlmutter, TGA episodes are “often preceded by a sudden physical or emotional stress,” such as “vigorous exercise, heavy lifting, emotional shock, pain, sexual activity, coughing or straining.”
In rare cases, TGA can also be triggered by sudden immersion in cold water.
“Neurologists have recognized for years that diving into very cold water or experiencing an abrupt temperature change can occasionally precipitate an episode of transient global amnesia,” Dr. Perlmutter added.
Dr. Perlmutter advised anyone who might experience this condition themselves or see it in a loved one to seek emergency medical care if they notice symptoms so that a stroke, seizure or other potentially serious causes can be ruled out.
“While you’re waiting for help, stay calm and reassure the person. They may ask the same questions over and over again because they simply can’t retain the answers,” he explained. “That’s actually a good thing because it helps confirm the diagnosis. And don’t expect them to remember what you’ve just told them. … Most people quickly return to their normal baseline, with the only lasting effect being that they never remember the hours during which the episode occurred.”
