US actress - Sharon Stone was apparently broke after her stroke
Actress Sharon Stone spoke at length in an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter" about her breakthrough with "Basic Instinct," misogynistic Hollywood, and two things that changed her career and her life: her involvement with the non-profit organization Amfar, which advocates for AIDS research, and her stroke.
It was 1995 when Amfar founder Mathilde Krim asked Stone if she would moderate a charity event. She agreed. Although she knew that her involvement in AIDS relief could potentially end her career. In the early 90s, AIDS was still heavily stigmatized. The consequence for Sharon Stone: "I didn't get any roles. I didn't get any jobs. People rejected me without knowing it."
Sharon Stone: Stroke Changes Everything
Five years later, Sharon Stone's entire life was to change. Twenty-three years ago, in the midst of her divorce from her then-husband Phil Bronstein, doctors gave her a one percent chance of survival after a stroke. She lost hearing in one ear. "I bled in my brain for nine days," Stone said. Her brain was no longer where it had been before. The stroke altered the entire functioning of her brain: her sense of smell, touch, and vision. For several years, she could not read – she was the girl who hid in the closet with a flashlight to read before. "Many people thought I was going to die."
Sharon Stone further: "A Buddhist monk told me that I was reborn in the same body. I had a near-death experience and then they brought me back."
Her Savings Were Gone
But when Sharon Stone had recovered from her stroke seven years later, she was apparently bankrupt. "People had taken advantage of me during this time. I had saved $18 million, because I had been so successful, but when I checked my account again, it was all gone." Her refrigerator, her phone, everything was in someone else's name.
She overcame it by letting go. She didn't hold onto her illness, anger, and bitterness. "If you bite into the seed of bitterness, it will never leave you. But whoever holds onto their faith, even if it's only as small as a mustard seed, will survive." She decided to live for joy and a goal.
After her stroke in the 90s, Sharon Stone's career took a different turn. Major film productions largely ignored her, a stark contrast to her successful roles in the 90s Hollywood, such as her iconic role in "Basic Instinct." (Sharon Stone, 90s, Hollywood, career, Basic Instinct)
The Hollywood Reporter featured an article in the 90s about Stone's involvement with Amfar, highlighting her bravery in speaking out about AIDS and advocating for research during a time when the disease was heavily stigmatized. (Sharon Stone, Amfar, Hollywood Reporter, AIDS, 90s, stigma)
During her struggle with AIDS-related stigma in the 90s, Stone also faced financial challenges. Despite her success, she eventually found herself bankrupt following her stroke recovery. (Sharon Stone, bankruptcy, 90s, financial challenges, stroke)
