Sharon Stone at the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

Sharon Stone Recalls Going Broke After Near Death Experience

Home / News / Sharon Stone Recalls Going Broke After Near Death Experience

By Afouda Bamidele on July 10, 2024 at 9:45 AM EDT

Sharon Stone is taking stock of one of the darkest times of her life, which saw her hit rock bottom financially.

The "Basic Instincts" star detailed her struggles with stroke and how it turned around an important part of her life, including realigning her focus on motherhood and reaping all the benefits of raising her children void of any regret.

Over two decades after her close brush with death, Sharon Stone is recalling the events that led to her survival, crediting "faith" and "living for joy."

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Sharon Stone Says She Lost $18 Million After Her Stroke

Sharon Stone at CORE Gala Benefiting the Nonprofits Crisis Response Efforts Around the World
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Stone admitted that her entire physical and psychological system turned around after she suffered a ruptured vertebral artery that saw her bleed into her brain for nine days in 2001.

She added that a Buddhist monk told her she had been "reincarnated" into a new body, recalling that her brain moved from its initial position to the front of her face, thus affecting her sense of smell, sight, and touch. The star continued:

"I couldn't read for a couple of years. Things were stretched, and I was seeing color patterns. A lot of people thought I was going to die."

As if her health challenges were not enough, the actress shared that she was finessed of her money, which totaled about $18 million in savings, her refrigerator, her phones, and all her properties.

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However, she decided to stay present and let go of the past in order to heal, stating to The Hollywood Reporter that:

"I decided not to hang onto being sick or to any bitterness or anger. If you bite into the seed of bitterness, it never leaves you. But if you hold faith, even if that faith is the size of a mustard seed, you will survive. So, I live for joy now. I live for purpose."

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The Actress Found Comfort In Motherhood

Sharon Stone at The Hollywood Reporter 2nd Annual 'Raising Our Voices' Event
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As part of her resolve to leave the past in the past, Stone decided to adopt her children Roan, Laird, and Quinn and focus on raising them over the shining lights of Hollywood.

"I'm grateful that I chose motherhood as a healthy approach to my life and that I didn't prioritize Hollywood, because they certainly didn't prioritize me," said the actress as she reflected on her successful life five years before succumbing to a stroke.

After the sickness, The Blast reported that she experienced memory loss and struggled to find the words or see. She lost her marriage, career, and custody of her children in the process after a bitter divorce in 2004.

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While she never recovered from her losses, Stone stated that she is content and recognizes that she is enough, acknowledging her father's support through it all.

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Stone Is Living The Healthy Way After Her Stroke Experience

Sharon Stone at Vanity Fair Oscar Party
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The "Romantic Road" actress, who was given a 1% chance at survival during her sickness, has, since her recovery, taken it upon herself to prevent another debilitating stroke crisis by prioritizing eight hours of sleep to prevent her from having seizures.

But that's not all; the stroke impacted her career trajectory so much that she's now a disability hire, which means the roles don't come calling like they used to anymore for 22 years now.

On why she decided to go public about her health struggles since the incident, Stone referenced her upbringing in a torn home and how it affected her outlook on life, saying:

"It took me a long time to understand that I had a life of my own...and that it was okay for me to receive care, for me to be enough as a disabled person. I feel proud of myself and proud of my accomplishments — from surviving to helping others survive."

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The Hollywood Legend Has A New Lawsuit On Her Radar

Sharon Stone at The Pale Blue Eye Los Angeles Premiere
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Well, 2024 started on a rocky note for the actress. She was accused of careless driving in a new civil case, and the victim demanded $35,000 for the losses and damages caused by the accident.

The Blast reported that the plaintiff, Amanda Diann Godepski, narrated her encounter with Stone on July 30, 2023, at the Southbound US-101 freeway offramp at Coldwater Canyon Avenue in Los Angeles.

Godepski explained that Stone negligently operated the vehicle so as to "proximately cause the vehicle to strike the plaintiff's vehicle, and so thereby causing the plaintiff to sustain personal injuries and property damage."

The plaintiff continued that Stone made an unsafe turning movement into her lane of travel and drove too fast for traffic conditions, thus violating California Vehicle Codes.

The Plaintiff Made More Demands From Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone
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The lawsuit includes compensation demands for wage loss and loss of use of property, case in point Godepski’s damaged vehicle. She requested Stone cover medical and hospital expenses, general damages, property damage, and loss of earning capacity.

The long list also includes Godepski’s request that Stone compensate her for “emotional distress, economic damage, and non-economic damage.” However, the actress’s quarters are still silent about the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed a month after Stone name-dropped a producer who pressured her to get intimate with her “Silver” co-star William Baldwin on Louis Theroux’s podcast.

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