Jean Smart Says Fear Of Losing Kids Made Her Take Early Heart Symptoms Seriously

Jean Smart credits her well-being to her children, who made her take her health seriously.  

The Emmy-Award-winning actress, who is all too familiar with the consequences of ill health, reawakened following the unexpected passing of her husband, Richard Gilliland, on March 18, 2021, due to a heart condition. 

Following the demise of her beloved husband, Smart, who also faced a heart condition of her own, has had to soldier on through the pain of becoming a single parent to her youngest son, Forrest, whom she and Gilliland adopted in 2009.

Recently, she revealed she had to pay close attention to her health to be alive for her children. 

While the ''Designing Women'' actress hopes to live long for her children, she faced her health scare in 2023 but came out triumphantly.

In a chat with People, Smart revealed that the death of her husband of nearly 34 years ''dramatically'' changed how she treated her well-being.

The ''Hacks'' star said, ''It made more sense for me to get smarter about my health decisions. I'm the one running the show now, completely on my own, and if something happens to me, what happens to my kids?"

Smart, who also shares a grown son, Connor, with her late husband, noted that her youngest child, Forrest, was not yet ready for the real world. She remarked, ''My youngest has just turned 15. He's still in school, and it's frightening to think of your kids having to deal with things without you possibly.''

Although the mom of two is deeply concerned about making sure she is available for her children, she confessed that her kids ''take excellent care'' of her. ''My oldest son lives with us right now. He's been helping me a lot since we lost his dad, so it's been nice to have him around. I don't know how single working mothers do it. I don't!" Smart stated. 

Having her kids in mind prompted the ''Babylon'' actress to take her heart symptoms more seriously earlier in the year. The actress admitted, ''If I hadn't been a single mom, I'm not sure I would have pursued that as quickly as I did.''

She added, ''I wasn't feeling right after working on some scenes in the show [Hacks] and just thought, 'Oh, don't be stupid. Make an appointment with your doctor.' It was pretty serious, unexpected, and scary, but I had fabulous medical help, so it went to plan.''

Fans may recall that back in February, the Emmy-Award-winning actress revealed that she underwent a successful heart procedure. 

Announcing the news in the second month of the year, which marked American Heart Month, she took to her Instagram to pen a touching message of gratitude to her supporters and medical professionals who were instrumental in her recovery journey. 

''February is American Heart Month,'' Smart began in the attached picture. ''A time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent, successful heart procedure.''

The ''Mare of Easttown'' actress continued with words of appreciation by noting that she was ''fortunate to have excellent professional care and support from family and friends'' while she recovered. 

For her concluding message, the 71-year-old actress advised her numerous fans to ''listen to your body and talk to your doctor'' before expressing gladness for following her advice and signing off with her name.

Many fans headed to the comments to pray and encourage her throughout her recovery. One Instagram user conveyed relief to know the actress was well and sent ''love and thanks for this urging.'' Another user wrote, ''Heal well and quickly, you national treasure.''

A third fan wrote, ''Glad to hear that everything went well on your procedure. Hope you have a smooth recovery and get well soon.''

Smart's affection for her late husband, Gilliland, is unshaken as she continues to honor him and remember his memory for as long as she lives.

During the 2021 Emmys, when she took home the award for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Deborah Vance, the ''Frasier'' actress moved viewers to tears with a heartwarming tribute she rendered to her deceased partner, who was also her ''Hacks'' co-star.

Amid a standing ovation from the audience, she thanked her late husband for all his support. After receiving her award, the ''Wildflower'' actress remembered her husband's legacy, who was honored in the Memoriam section of ''Hacks.''

Smart remarked, ''I must acknowledge my late husband, Richard Gilliland… I would not be here… without him putting his career on the back burner so that I could take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that I've had.''