In December 1999, Julie Andrews filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against throat surgeon Dr. Scott M. Kessler, his partner Dr. Jeffrey D. Libin, and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, alleging that a 1997 operation to remove growths from her vocal cords was performed without proper warnings about the risks and went beyond what was medically necessary, permanently destroying her four-octave singing voice. The Julie Andrews lawsuit settled in September 2000 on confidential terms the actress described as “favorable,” with Dr. Kessler as the sole remaining defendant by the time the deal was reached.1The New York Times. Public Lives: Julie Andrews Sues Throat Surgeon2New York Post. Julie Clears Throat Doc From Liability
The Surgery Behind the Suit
Andrews had struggled with vocal fatigue throughout her Broadway run in Victor/Victoria, which ran from October 1995 to June 1997 and included absences for flu, pneumonia, and “larynx problems.”3Pojones.com. Victor Victoria and the Return of Julie Andrews to Broadway After her final performance on June 8, 1997, she underwent surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital to remove what was described at the time as noncancerous nodules from her vocal cords.4Biography.com. Julie Andrews Vocal Cord Surgery Lost Voice
She woke to find her speaking voice reduced to a rasp and her famous singing range gone. Permanent scarring had destroyed the elasticity of her vocal cords, and later examinations found that so much tissue had been removed during the procedure that restoration of her singing voice was impossible.4Biography.com. Julie Andrews Vocal Cord Surgery Lost Voice Andrews learned years afterward that the underlying condition had not been nodules but a form of muscular striation caused by straining her voice during the 1982 film Victor/Victoria.5Classic FM. Julie Andrews Depression Losing Voice Operation
What the Lawsuit Alleged
Andrews filed suit in federal court in Manhattan on December 14, 1999, naming Dr. Kessler, Dr. Libin, and Mount Sinai Hospital as defendants.1The New York Times. Public Lives: Julie Andrews Sues Throat Surgeon The complaint carried two central claims.
The first was informed-consent. Andrews alleged she was never told the operation carried risks of permanent hoarseness, “irreversible loss of vocal quality,” or other complications that could leave her unable to sing.6CBS News. Singer Sues Doctor Over Voice The second went to the scope of the surgery itself: the suit alleged that Dr. Kessler operated on both sides of her vocal cords despite there being no medical reason to perform surgery on the right side.1The New York Times. Public Lives: Julie Andrews Sues Throat Surgeon
Andrews sought damages for loss of past and future earnings. The complaint did not specify a dollar amount.6CBS News. Singer Sues Doctor Over Voice1The New York Times. Public Lives: Julie Andrews Sues Throat Surgeon4Biography.com. Julie Andrews Vocal Cord Surgery Lost Voice A Mount Sinai spokesperson said at the time that hospital officials had not yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment.
How the Case Ended
The case was resolved on September 7, 2000, less than a year after filing.7ABC News. Julie Andrews Settles Malpractice Lawsuit By that point Andrews had already dropped her claims against Dr. Libin and Mount Sinai, leaving Dr. Kessler as the only remaining defendant.2New York Post. Julie Clears Throat Doc From Liability Financial terms were never disclosed.8Playbill. Julie Andrews Settles Malpractice Lawsuit Over Loss of the Sound of Her Music
Andrews’ statement was brief: “I am glad to have settled this case in a favorable manner and am glad to close this chapter on an event which was unfortunate for all concerned.”9Deseret News. Andrews Surgery Suit Settled A Mount Sinai spokesperson said the hospital “could not immediately comment on the settlement.”7ABC News. Julie Andrews Settles Malpractice Lawsuit
Andrews’ case was not the first malpractice allegation against the two surgeons. Metropolitan Opera singer Theresa Stratas had previously accused Drs. Kessler and Libin of a botched 1995 procedure that she claimed wrecked her singing career.2New York Post. Julie Clears Throat Doc From Liability Kessler eventually stopped performing surgery, though he continued seeing patients for assessment and referrals.10W Magazine. Voice Doctor
What Happened to Andrews’ Voice After the Settlement
After the case closed, Andrews turned to Dr. Steven Zeitels, founder and director of the Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Harvard Medical School professor known for treating professional singers. Zeitels operated on Andrews four separate times, focusing on removing scar tissue and stretching what viable vocal tissue remained.11The New Yorker. Giving Voice
Zeitels improved the quality of her speaking voice but concluded that too much vibratory tissue had been destroyed in the 1997 operation for a full vocal restoration to be possible. Her singing range was reduced to roughly one octave: she could reach low notes, but middle-range notes became unreachable and high notes uncertain.4Biography.com. Julie Andrews Vocal Cord Surgery Lost Voice
Andrews has spoken publicly about the emotional weight of the loss. “When I woke up from an operation to remove a cyst on my vocal cord, my singing voice was gone,” she said. “I went into a depression. It felt like I’d lost my identity.”5Classic FM. Julie Andrews Depression Losing Voice Operation By 2015, she told The Hollywood Reporter: “I thought my voice was my stock-in-trade, my talent, my soul. And I had to finally come to the conclusion that it wasn’t only that that I was made of.”4Biography.com. Julie Andrews Vocal Cord Surgery Lost Voice