Updated November 14, 2026, 1:38 p.m. ET
Tiffani Thiessen is opening up about a new development in health.
On the Nov. 10 episode of the “Breaking Bread” podcast, the “Saved by the Bell” actress, 52, revealed that she needed a hip replacement after being diagnosed with hip dysplasia.
“I was a dancer when I was younger, which was a good thing,” Thiessen told host Tom Papa. “I have a torn labrum. It’s a problem I have.”
The former child dancer playfully warned others as they grow up: “This is what happens. Wait. Wait, guys.”
“And then I found out at my second opinion that I was basically a German Shepherd. I had hip dysplasia,” she said.
What is hip dysplasia? Tiffani Thiessen shares health diagnosis
According to the Mayo Clinic, hip dysplasia occurs when a hip socket does not completely cover the ball of the upper thigh, causing a partial or complete dislocation of the hip joint.
Before the surgery, Thiessen said she hadn’t been able to play pickleball in recent weeks because her hip was “very bad,” adding, “My doctor didn’t say it was pickleball, but it probably didn’t help.”
The “Coven Academy” star said she plays the sport with her son, Holt, 11, who just started less than a year ago. “Actually, he’s starting to beat me now. But I have a bad hip,” she joked.
Tiffani Thiessen Reveals ‘Saved by the Bell’ Remaining Total
The “White Collar” alum’s health update comes after she revealed she was no longer paid for her work on “Saved by the Bell” during a Sept. 24 interview on Page Six Radio.
“I think it’s dry,” she said. “It’s like negative now. It probably costs more to print the check.”
Thiessen, who was 15 when she was cast as cheerleader Kelly Kapowski, said the actors “had no interest in this show at all.”
“We didn’t win anything and we just did our job,” she said.
Television actors typically receive residuals when their show is used beyond what is “covered by the initial compensation”: when it is rebroadcast, released on video/DVD, and aired in syndication, according to SAG-AFTRA, the union that covers film and radio performers.
Contributor: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
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