Friends and fans of John Waters had a scare last week when the star was hospitalized and ended up missing his own annual holiday party. The Baltimore Sun reports that the man behind such cult hits as Hairspray and Pink Flamingos had a kidney stone, but thankfully he says he's now fine.

The party, held annually in Baltimore, is private — and 70-year-old Waters expressed his desire to keep the details of his absence similarly out of the public eye. "The party was private, my health is private," Waters told the Sun. "I guess one [of the guests] blabbed. Most didn't. I am completely fine and [the] whole thing is ridiculous and blown out of proportion."

However, perhaps with the spate of unexpected 2016 celebrity deaths on his mind, he granted concerned fans a bit more information. "I had a kidney stone," he told the paper. "It hurt. Lots. Went to hospital and got excellent treatment and was home the next day."

Perhaps as to be expected, the party went on without him — some guests even stayed as late as 2:30 a.m. "Obviously, my assistants Susan and Trish and Sascha's catering gang did a great job without me," Waters added.

And while his annoyance at having his kidney stone dragged into the spotlight is to be expected, so was the concern of his loyal fan base. With 2016 claiming David Bowie, Prince, and Carrie Fisher (to name just a few), the feared potential loss of Waters was just too much.

Still, in typical Waters fashion, he brushed the entire thing aside. "I am going to [New York] and then [the] Hamptons for New Year's Eve dinner with friends, so all is obviously fine. Jeeze."

Related: Relax, John Waters Is NOT Dead!