Erin Moriarty’s Battle with Staph Infection and Graves’ Disease During *The Boys*’ Final Season

During a June 30 interview on the *MeSsy* podcast with Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, actress Erin Moriarty disclosed that she filmed a sex scene for season 2 of Amazon Prime Video’s *The Boys* while suffering a severe staph infection. The infection left her unable to move her right arm, yet she completed the night-shoot. She later described the same health challenges as a factor throughout the series’ final season, which concluded in May 2025.

People Magazine

Moriarty’s staph infection, caused by *Staphylococcus* bacteria, can produce blisters, fever, muscle aches, nausea and shortness of breath, according to the Cleveland Clinic. She reported “a second head growing out of my armpit” and extreme fatigue. In June 2025 she received a diagnosis of Graves’ disease, an autoimmune hyper-thyroidism that can cause insomnia, hair loss, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, weight loss, tremors and difficulty breathing (Cleveland Clinic; NHS). Prior to diagnosis she experienced numbness in her hands and feet, frequent falls, and a shredded knee injury.

People Magazine

Moriarty granted the *The Boys* production a medical allowance, allowing producers to liaise directly with her physicians. The crew altered shooting schedules and limited physically demanding scenes when she was unable to lift her arm or articulate clearly. Moriarty noted that production grew “suspicious” during the undiagnosed period, prompting the formal medical arrangement. These accommodations enabled her to appear in the series finale, which she described as the episode where she was “most in.”

The Independent

• “I had one night, for example, earlier on in the show, season two — this is one of the many examples where I was so run down that I developed a really, really, really bad staph infection,” — Erin Moriarty, *MeSsy* podcast

People Magazine

• “I was like, ‘Guys, I have a second head growing out of my armpit. Even if we wanted to go through with this, this is what it looks like,'” — Erin Moriarty, *MeSsy* podcast

People Magazine

• “' " "I can be in hell — I can be afraid that maybe I won't wake up tomorrow because I've got a really invasive staph infection, I can't move my right arm, but I will show up, and I will do whatever I have to do to show that I'm a good sport and a good player," she continued.” — Erin Moriarty, *MeSsy* podcast

People Magazine

• “It’s mostly to say: f* autoimmune disease. F* it so hard. F*** the ignorance surrounding it, too. I can’t remedy that ignorance but not being outspoken about it occasionally feels wrong.” — Erin Moriarty, Instagram (June 2025)

The Independent

• “And it's funny, because the one episode where I had started treatment and I was fully present for is the episode that I'm the most in, which is the finale. And thank God I was able to be present at all for this final season. And thank God treatment has worked for me… It doesn't work for everyone.” — Erin Moriarty, Instagram (June 2025)

The Independent

Moriarty acknowledged that her illness limited the expression of certain character traits, stating that “certain components of my character would have been more pronounced” had she been healthier. The production’s adaptations meant that some scenes were re-written or filmed with limited physical involvement, potentially influencing the arc of Starlight (Annie January) in the series’ conclusion. Her public discussion highlights the pressures actors face when managing chronic illness and contributes to broader awareness of autoimmune conditions in the entertainment industry.

The Independent

The sources do not specify the exact number of shooting days missed, nor do they provide independent verification of the production’s medical allowance terms. Details on how script revisions were implemented remain undisclosed.

The Independent

Following her June 2025 Instagram announcement, Moriarty indicated she will continue acting while advocating for greater visibility of Graves’ disease and other autoimmune disorders. No further projects have been confirmed in the provided sources.

The Independent