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Gal Gadot has opened up about the terrifying emergency brain surgery she underwent after doctors found a “massive” blood clot while she was pregnant with her fourth child.
The Wonder Woman actor, 39, experienced awful headaches which led to her being diagnosed with cerebral venous thrombosis – a condition so rare it accounts for only three per cent of strokes.
Gadot previously detailed the health scare on Instagram in December and explained the incident further to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Monday (March 10).
Speaking on the show in an interview to promote Snow White, Gadot said: “I had a huge scare. All of the sudden, I realised what it means to be scared to death.”
She continued: “I had a brain clot, and it was a huge one. Like three. I had three. When I do something, I do it all the way.”
Gadot explained she started to have “major headaches” for three weeks and saw multiple doctors and neurologists before she was eventually diagnosed with cerebral venous thrombosis.
CVT, or cerebral venous thrombosis, occurs when a blood clot forms in the brain’s venous sinuses. The clot prevents blood from being drained from the brain, which results in pressure building up in the blood vessels, leading to swelling and bleeding in the brain.
The star emphasised the importance of “advocating for yourself” with healthcare professionals, revealing doctors told her the headaches were due to hormones or a migraine.
After three weeks, it was Gadot’s mother who told her to go and get an MRI scan. “They found this horrible thing and we were rushed to the hospital, and they got the baby out immediately,” she said.
“I went through a thrombectomy. I had the most amazing team,” Gadot said. “They saved my life. Mara and Dr Song, and Michael Alexander. Thank you so much for saving my life,’ she added.
“But I think, you know, just love yourself and check yourself, and be on top of your health.”
Gadot shared that her baby daughter Ori is healthy, describing her as a “little caterpillar”.
The actor welcomed Ori, 1, with her husband Jaron Varsano. The couple are also parents to 13-year-old daughter Alma, 8-year-old Maya and 3-year-old Daniella.
Elsewhere, Gadot revealed her daughters aren’t happy she’s playing the Evil Queen in Disney’s forthcoming live-action version of Snow White.
“So Maya, the 8-year-old, when I told them I’m going to do Snow White, she was like, ‘Yay!’” she said.
“And then Alma goes, ‘She’s playing the evil queen. She’s not playing Snow White. And Maya goes, ‘What, is that true?’ Gadot added, before admitting Maya then started to cry.
The new film, by 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb, follows Snow White after the wicked queen (Gadot), who is also her mother, orders her murder.
Fleeing from the peril, Snow White makes her way into a forest and discovers the seven dwarfs in a cottage.
Snow White is set to release in theatres on 21 March 2025.
