Penélope Cruz Opens Up About Brain Aneurysm Scares

Academy Award-winning actress Penélope Cruz has disclosed that she has endured several frightening brain aneurysm scares in recent years, experiences that have fundamentally shaped her approach to health and wellness.

"I have had many scares like that," the 52-year-old star of The Invite told Net-a-Porter in an interview published on Monday, July 6. "Fortunately, I'm fine, it was a false alarm."

The health episodes have prompted Cruz, who shares son Leo, 15, and daughter Luna, 12, with husband Javier Bardem, to reassess her priorities and commit to rigorous self-care practices. The actress emphasized that maintaining her health has become paramount in her life.

"I worry about staying healthy, taking care of myself," Cruz explained to the publication. "I don't drink, I don't smoke, I really don't party. Without health, we have nothing. You talk about real equality? Why don't we start with health?"

The Spanish actress used the platform to advocate for increased attention to women's health issues, highlighting what she perceives as a significant disparity in medical research funding and focus between men's and women's ailments.

"It's shocking that over decades, we've stuck to the same information about how women's bodies work," she told Net-a-Porter. "Look at funding for investigation into any illness that affects only women — we don't get even half the investment. It is a level of control or suppression."

Cruz had previously discussed one particularly harrowing incident that occurred while filming The Black Ball. During the film's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the actress recounted receiving alarming medical news just moments before she was scheduled to shoot a night sequence.

"We're about to go out, I was putting on my wig, and they said, 'Oh, apparently you have some brain aneurysm,'" she recalled at the festival screening, according to Variety. "I thought I was about to die. This is something that was totally surreal in my life."

The actress took the remainder of that evening off from filming and subsequently received medical clearance from a doctor to continue with the production. Reflecting on the experience, Cruz described her relief as nothing short of miraculous.

"I thought, 'It's a total miracle,'" she reflected. "I have to, I must have this in me."

Following its premiere at Cannes, The Black Ball received a 16-minute standing ovation from festival audiences, marking a triumphant moment for Cruz and the production team who had weathered the medical scare together during filming.

Cruz's candid discussion of her health challenges adds to a growing conversation among public figures about the importance of medical awareness and the need for equitable healthcare research and resources for women.