William Shatner turned an unlikely souvenir into a chance to help a family secure a home.
The “Star Trek” icon recently revisited the unusual story of his kidney stone, which was auctioned in 2006 for a gambling company’s publicity campaign.
The sale brought in thousands of dollars, and when combined with money raised by his “Boston Legal” castmates, it helped fund a Habitat for Humanity home in Louisiana for a family of five.
William Shatner’s Kidney Stone Auction Raised An Unexpected Amount
The story began after William Shatner passed a kidney stone, which he remembered as a small, dark pellet.
Speaking on “Dropping Names with Brent and Jonny,” the 95-year-old explained that he initially felt relieved to be rid of it, unaware that the stone would soon become an unusual fundraising asset.
“I have a kidney stone, and the guy takes it out, here it is, a little black pellet. Thank God it’s gone,” Shatner recalled.
About a week later, he received a call from a Canadian gambling company that wanted to purchase the stone. According to Shatner, the company faced legal restrictions on advertising and saw the unusual item as a way to attract attention.
“A week later, I get a phone call from a Canadian gambling company who, by law, can’t advertise. So what they do… they find ways of doing it,” he explained.
The company bought the kidney stone and auctioned it for $75,000, transforming a personal medical experience into a publicity stunt with a charitable outcome.
Shatner And ‘Boston Legal’ Cast Helped Build Louisiana Home
The auction proceeds were only part of the contribution. William Shatner revealed that his “Boston Legal” castmates raised an additional $25,000, bringing the total donation to $100,000 for Habitat for Humanity.
“My kidney stone plus $25,000 for raised from the cast. We gave Habitat for Humanity $100,000 to make a home for a family,” he told the podcast hosts, Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes.
The donation helped provide a house in Louisiana for a family of five. According to the actor, the family was still living there the last time he checked, giving the strange auction a lasting purpose beyond the publicity it generated.
William Shatner Turned Elon Musk’s $42 Transfer Into Major Charity Success
Shatner’s kidney-stone auction wasn’t the only unusual way the actor raised money for charity. The “Iron Man” star also turned a modest digital payment from Elon Musk into a fundraising opportunity that brought in nearly $200,000 for his Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which supports children and veterans.
Speaking to Business Insider earlier this year, Shatner recalled receiving $42 from Musk through X Money, a digital payment service being tested within the social media platform.
The amount referenced “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” in which 42 is famously identified as the answer to life, the universe and everything.
Rather than simply keeping the money, Shatner decided to use it to attract donations. He offered contributors access to the X Money beta in exchange for donations, with donors who contributed at least $1,000 receiving $1 from his account.
“I say, great, I’ve got $42 from Elon Musk. I’ll sell each of those dollars,” he told the outlet.
The actor initially expected the campaign to generate $42,000. However, the first batch of offers sold out quickly, and Musk reportedly sent another $42. Employees affiliated with his artificial intelligence company, xAI, also contributed, raising nearly $200,000.
More From The Blast Internal
Shatner Rejected False Online Claims About His Health
Away from his generosity, William Shatner has also had to address misinformation about his personal life, including fabricated claims that he was dying from stage-four brain cancer.
In April, the Hollywood star publicly challenged a Facebook page he accused of using artificial intelligence to spread false stories about his health.
As The Blast reported, Shatner explained that he waited until after April Fools’ Day to respond. He revealed that the page had circulated fabricated images of him in a hospital bed alongside alarming claims about his condition.
“They have created stories that say I have stage 4 brain cancer,” Shatner wrote on X, adding that the posts claimed he was dying. He also alleged that the stories were monetized and that many featured AI-generated images of him.
“None of these stories are true but they apparently seem genuine enough for fans to repost them across social media and send messages of support to me and my family all while the culprits behind the account make money,” he continued.
The actor also criticized the people responsible for the content, arguing that the false reports were exploiting fans’ concern for him and his family.
William Shatner And Daughter Melanie Recount Their Cancer Battles
Shatner’s response to the fabricated brain-cancer reports was distinct from the genuine medical ordeal he later discussed publicly with his daughter, Melanie.
In July, the pair spoke about their separate stage-four cancer diagnoses and how they supported each other through treatment.
According to The Blast, Shatner revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage-four melanoma after noticing a lump that initially had been attributed to a clogged salivary gland. When it kept growing, he sought further medical attention, and an oncologist confirmed the condition’s seriousness.
“I went to an oncologist … and they operated almost immediately with Stage 4 melanoma,” he told ABC News.
His daughter had discovered a breast lump in 2022, nearly a year before her father’s diagnosis. Although an initial ultrasound found nothing concerning, Melanie trusted her instincts and sought further evaluation.
She eventually learned she had an aggressive form of breast cancer that had spread beyond her breast.
Melanie underwent chemotherapy, 30 rounds of radiation, a double mastectomy and a year of immunotherapy. During treatment, she recalled calling her father in fear.
Shatner went to see her and reassured her that she would get through the ordeal. Both father and daughter later reported having no evidence of disease and being in remission.
