The first blow came when Sharon Stone suffered a stroke nearly 20 years ago. The second came from the people in and out of Hollywood who were "brutally unkind" in the months and years that followed her life-threatening brain aneurysm.
The 61-year-old "Basic Instinct" actress had to pause her life and career as she focused on her recovery but rather than receive support and understanding from friends, family and colleagues, Stone felt rejected by Hollywood.
"People treated me in a way that was brutally unkind," she told Variety in a candid interview. "From other women in my own business to the female judge who handled my custody case, I don’t think anyone grasps how dangerous a stroke is for women and what it takes to recover — it took me about seven years."
Stone suffered a stroke in 2001. She was 43 at the time and in good health. The days that ensued were not easy.
"My recovery period was hell, quite frankly," she told brain injury awareness magazine Brain and Life. "I lost 18 percent of my body mass in nine days. I came out of the hospital looking like teeth on a stick."
Over the next few years Stone had to relearn basic, everyday functions like walking and writing. She also had to fight for custody of her child while struggling to keep her career going.
"[From] trying to keep custody of my son to just functioning — to be able to work at all," Stone told Variety. "I was so grateful to [LVMH head and now the second-richest person in the world] Bernard Arnault, who rescued me by giving me a Dior contract. But I had to remortgage my house. I lost everything I had. I lost my place in the business. I was like the hottest movie star, you know?"
The actress said she felt rejected by the industry.
"It was like Miss Princess Diana and I were so famous — and she died and I had a stroke. And we were forgotten."
Stone bounced back, though. Now she is focusing her energy on creating awareness around stroke. Her most recent efforts included hosting the Women’s Brain Health Initiative in West Hollywood on Wednesday night. She does not want other women to encounter the struggles she and other victims of stroke, had to endure.
"I've met so many people in situations worse than my own, and I've learned a lot. This experience has developed my character," she told Brain and Life. "It's been a long time, a lot of determination. It finally feels like everything is coming together."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.