Why Misty Copeland Had Hip Replacement Surgery Before Her Oscars Performance

The performance celebrating Sinners drew a lot of eyes during the Oscars, thanks to a special guest. Misty Copeland did not just pop out at the Oscars for a cute cameo. Her March 15 appearance at the 2026 Academy Awards felt like a real full-circle moment. Misty’s surprise routine came just months after she retired from American Ballet Theatre and recovered from hip surgery.

Misty underwent hip surgery because her left hip had serious damage. Ahead of her October 2025 farewell performance, she revealed that doctors found bone spurs, a labral tear, and cartilage loss.

“Even in my last performance with ABT, I was barely walking before and somehow, you know, muster up the strength,” she told Indiana Public Media. “I found out in preparation for the performance that I have bone spurs in my left hip and a labral tear and loss of cartilage. And my doctors, they were just like, ‘I don't think this is a good idea for you to push for this performance.’ And I said, well, ‘I've already agreed to it.’”

The dancer later revealed that she underwent hip replacement surgery in December 2025. She shared that she shifted her focus to healing, physically and mentally. “I’ve been focused on healing — physically, mentally, and patiently,” Misty wrote on Instagram. “These were my first few days: learning to walk again, resting, and letting my body do the work. Recovery isn’t glamorous, but every small step matters.”

Misty now appears to be doing much better. In a post, the ballerina said recovery has required her “to slow down, listen, and rebuild,” and she shared that two months after surgery, she returned to pointe for the first time.

Misty was born in Kansas City, Mo., raised in San Pedro, Calif., and started ballet at 13, which is considered late in the classical world. Her official biography says she was en pointe within three months of beginning classes, and the AP reported that she went on to become the first Black woman promoted to principal dancer in ABT’s history in 2015.

“It could be a very lonely experience, at times. I was already different, already being judged,” Misty wrote of her experience with ABT. “But deep down, what kept me going was that I believed that if I could keep working on my craft, and just be the best, then eventually the color of my skin wouldn’t matter.”

Her life and career have stretched well beyond the stage. She has written books, built the Misty Copeland Foundation, and used her platform to push for more access and representation in dance.

As for whether she is retired from ballet, that is unclear. However, she retired from American Ballet Theatre, but she has not closed the door on dancing altogether. “It’s time for me to move to the next stage,” she told the AP. While also making clear later that “it won’t be the end of [her] dancing. … Never say never.”