Sharon Stone Opens Up About Stroke Aftermath, Career Impact and Financial Ruin
Twenty-five years after a near-fatal stroke, Sharon Stone reflects in ELLE Spain on her invisible disabilities, career fallout, and financial exploitation during her recovery.
Twenty-five years after suffering a near-fatal stroke and brain hemorrhage, Sharon Stone opens up about her ongoing health struggles, the severe impact on her career, and the feeling of being punished for falling ill. In a new interview with ELLE Spain, published on Wednesday, October 21, the Basic Instinct star reflected on the lasting consequences of the 2001 medical emergency.
"Ever since the aneurysm ruptured, I have suffered from seizure attacks and migraines," Stone said. "Emotional stress aggravates them, so I must take care of myself. People are unaware of invisible disabilities, or tend to forget about them." The incident occurred when Stone was 43 years old. She suffered a brain bleed that lasted for nine days and had to relearn how to walk, speak, and read, while her career suffered a massive blow as job offers dried up.
Financial Devastation and Recovery
Alongside the health and professional toll, Stone has previously detailed massive financial losses. In a July 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she revealed that during her seven-year recovery period, people around her exploited her vulnerable state, resulting in the complete disappearance of her savings.
"People took advantage of me during that time," she stated previously. "I had saved 18 million dollars through all my success, but when I looked back at my bank account, everything was gone." According to the actress, even basic items such as her refrigerator and phone were registered under other people's names, leaving her without a single dollar.
Embracing Art and New Projects
Despite the immense challenges, Stone continues to work and reinvent herself. She participated in the third season of Euphoria, is engaged in additional film projects, and is actively developing a career as a painter. With her three sons having left home, she describes a period of focusing once again on herself and her creative endeavors.
"I have so many paintings to finish and projects in various places that I might rent out my house, because I will barely be in it," she shared. "What is happening now is that I am returning to work with full force."
