Kate McKinnon Opens Up About Geographic Tongue Diagnosis While Promoting New Film
- Victor Nwoko
- Sep 6
- 2 min read
Comedian and actress Kate McKinnon has revealed she was diagnosed with geographic tongue, a harmless but unusual medical condition.
The Saturday Night Live alum shared that she first discovered the condition after taking a photo of her tongue and sending it to an actor friend who has the same diagnosis. “It’s called geographic tongue. Your tongue sheds in patches and looks like an atlas, hence the name,” McKinnon explained. Though she admitted she finds the appearance “gross,” she said she and her friend often joke about it. “We brag about how geographic we are on any given day,” she added.
According to the Mayo Clinic, geographic tongue causes smooth red patches with slightly raised borders on the tongue where the tiny papillae, or pink-white dots, are missing. The condition is generally harmless, though it can cause sensitivities to spices, salt, and sweets. While most cases require no treatment, occasional flare-ups linked to fungal infections can be treated with antifungal medication.
McKinnon is not the only celebrity to speak publicly about the condition. Sadie Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame revealed her own diagnosis in 2020, posting a photo of her tongue online and noting that it was the reason for its unusual appearance.
The Emmy-winning actress is currently promoting her role in The Roses, a dark comedy featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Ncuti Gatwa, Belinda Bromilow, Sunita Mani, Jamie Demetriou, Zoë Chao, and Allison Janney. The film, based on the 1981 novel The War of the Roses, takes inspiration from the source material but is not a direct remake of the 1989 film adaptation starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.
Screenwriter Tony McNamara explained that instead of focusing on divorce, the new film explores the struggles of a modern marriage. “What if you’re watching two people who desperately want to stay married and can’t work out how to do it? That would be a different kind of movie. That was the impetus to reimagine that story,” McNamara said.
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