Aubrey Plaza is getting candid about a terrifying moment from her past, one that nearly changed her life forever. The White Lotus star recently opened up about experiencing a stroke at just 20 years old during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show.
Reflecting on the traumatic event, Aubrey, now 40, recalled the surreal moment it all happened. “It was wild,” she shared with Howard Stern on his September 11 show. “The craziest thing about it—and kind of the coolest thing about it—it happened mid-sentence. I walked into my friend’s apartment in New York City, and before I could even take my jacket off, it just happened.”
The actress, known for her deadpan humor and quirky roles in Parks and Recreation and Ingrid Goes West, described the terrifying experience of briefly losing control of her body. “That’s when I was paralyzed, but only for about a minute,” Aubrey explained. “I lost my motor skills really briefly. The freakiest thing was I forgot how to talk.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, her friends didn’t immediately realize what was happening. During a 2017 interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, Plaza admitted that her friends thought she was joking. “I was always doing something stupid,” she said, laughing about their initial reaction. “After a couple of minutes, they kept asking, ‘Do you want us to call an ambulance?’ and I was aware enough to shake my head yes.”
Things got even stranger when paramedics arrived. Because of her young age, Aubrey revealed that they didn’t believe she had suffered a stroke. “They kept asking if I’d taken drugs,” she said, explaining that they initially thought dehydration or substance use might be the cause. “I hadn’t put anything into my body that day except birth control, which ended up being maybe the cause of the stroke.”
Looking back, Plaza feels fortunate that her brain healed quickly, but the experience left a lasting impression on her. “I guess it sounds cheesy, but I think I’m always aware of how precious life is,” she shared. “I try to see the bigger picture and not take things so seriously. Life is short, so I might as well do as much as I can.”
From her harrowing medical scare to her thriving career, Aubrey Plaza’s journey is a reminder that life can change in an instant—but it’s all about how you bounce back.
Also read: Princess Of Wales Completes Chemotherapy
