Tiffani Thiessen Says She Needs Hip Replacement at 52 After Rare Diagnosis

Actress Tiffani Thiessen, best known for playing Kelly Kapowski on “Saved by the Bell,” says she will need a hip replacement at age 52 after a diagnosis that surprised even her.

Thiessen, 52, revealed the news during an appearance on the “Breaking Bread with Tom Papa” podcast, explaining that years of childhood dance training may have contributed to her condition.

“I was a dancer when I was younger, which was a good thing,” Thiessen said. “I have a torn labrum. That’s one issue I have.”

She added, with some humor, “This is what happens. Just wait. You guys just wait. And then I found out going to my second opinion that I’m basically a German shepherd. I have hip dysplasia.”

Thiessen said she believes her natural childhood flexibility, which helped her succeed as a dancer, may have ultimately contributed to her hip problems. She said she’s been told the recovery outlook is relatively favorable compared with other joint surgeries.

“I hear that hip replacements aren’t as bad as knee and shoulder,” she said.

The condition has already forced Thiessen to step back from one of her favorite activities: pickleball, which she regularly plays with her son.

“My doctor didn’t say it was pickleball, but it probably hasn’t helped,” she said. “I have not been able to play in the last couple weeks because my hip’s been so bad.”

She noted that her son, who took up the sport less than a year ago, has started to catch up to her on the court. “He’s actually starting to beat me now. But I do have a bad hip,” she said.

A Career Spanning Decades

Thiessen began modeling and appearing in commercials as a child and won the Miss Junior America title in 1987. Two years later, she landed the role that would define her early career: Kelly Kapowski on “Saved by the Bell,” which premiered in 1989 and turned her into a teen idol.

In 1994, she took on a very different kind of role, joining “Beverly Hills, 90210” as the scheming Valerie Malone, showing she could move past wholesome teen parts.

Despite the physical setback, Thiessen said she has no plans to slow down professionally. She currently stars as Miss Graves in “Coven Academy,” playing the head of a supernatural boarding school for young witches and warlocks. In 2024, she voiced the superhero She-Hulk in the animated special “LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition.”

Looking back on a career that began in childhood, Thiessen said her priorities have shifted with time.

“It’s more just wanting to continue to have the opportunity to do it,” she said. “That’s what it is for me now. It’s not so much specific, ‘I want this or this award or this type of film or work with this type of person.’ I mean, I have a lot of those. But, it’s more, the main thing is just getting to still do it. As we get older, that starts to get smaller. And, so, the fact that I get to still do what I love is really what is most important to me.”

Thiessen also credited younger castmates with helping her stay energized on set.

“I’ve been very lucky … most of the projects that I’ve done have either been successful or just really great to do,” she said. “I really like working with this young generation. Like, they just, they’re really fun. I think they’re keeping me young. Like, you know, four o’clock in the morning, the mom is like, ‘Oh my God, how many more scenes?’ And these kids are over there doing TikToks.”