Sad News for Leonard Nimoy, The Original Spock

Oh gosh this is so sad. OG Spock to hundreds of Star Trek fans, Leonard Nimoy, has been diagnosed with a chronic lung disease at the age of 82. The actor confirmed the news via Twitter early on Thursday. Say it with us now, kids: smoking is bad. Not even a half-Vulcan, half-human can outrun its nasty side-effects.

"I quit smoking 30 yrs ago. Not soon enough," the actor tweeted. He continued explaining that he has COPD before continuing to be as charming as ever in his warning, "Grandpa says, quit now!! LLAP" (LLAP is short for "Live long and prosper" the Vulcan salute he ends every tweet with because he's a precious slice of humanity.)

With over 2,200 retweets of the announcement and counting, to say fans were shocked and saddened is an understatement. Still, Nimoy continued to handle the situation with his trademark wit and charm, as he tweeted "I'm doing OK. Just can't walk distances. Love my life, family, friends and followers."

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD as it is commonly referred to, is actually a general term used to describe several different lung diseases. Those include emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and non-reversible asthma — all diseases commonly associated with long-term smoking. "Smokers, please understand. If you quit after you're diagnosed with lung damage it's too late. Grandpa says learn my lesson. Quit now," Nimoy said. Ever the perky one, though, he ended on an optimistic note. "Still enjoying my life," he stated while promoting a soon-to-air Star Trek special set to air on EPIX February 16th of this year. Needless to say we're happy to see Nimoy continue to be a perma-positive person in the face of such news.