Back in May of 2025, Evangeline Lilly revealed that she had passed out and hit her face on a boulder. The actress, who stepped away from performing in 2024, posted photos of the damage and showed how beat up her face was because of the incident. Now, she’s shared some of the long-lasting issues that have cropped up because of this, specifically revealing that she has brain damage. However, while this is bad news, she’s handling it well, and many celebrities, including Michelle Pfeiffer and Alyssa Milano, are showing up to support the actress.
Evangeline Lilly Explained She Has Brain Damage Following Boulder Accident
While social media is full of fans wondering if Lilly will return to the MCU, she’s been using her Instagram to keep them updated on her health and healing journey. As I mentioned, last year, she posted on her Substack (via People) that she had “fainted at the beach,” which led to her hitting her face on a boulder. It was unclear why she blacked out in that moment, and as she healed from it, she was forced to “drop everything” to slow down.
Now, she’s shared a new update months after the incident. Tragically, it has led to more health issues, and she revealed that after a brain scan, they learned that her “brain is functioning at a decreased capacity.” She said:
It’s late on January 1st, the first day of 2026, and I am entering into this new year, the year of the horse, with some bad news about my concussion. A lot of you have asked how I’m doing. A lot of you have inquired about the brain scans that you heard I got. And the results came back from the scans, and almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity.
She went on to say that there are a few things that could be causing it, and she’ll be working with doctors to figure it out and heal. Diving into how she’s feeling right now, the Lost star said:
So, I do have brain damage from the TBI and possibly other factors going on. But now my job is to get to the bottom of that with the doctors. And then embark on the hard work of fixing it, which I don’t look forward to, because I feel like hard work is all I do. But that’s OK.
While this has clearly been a tough time for her, Lilly did note that her “cognitive decline” has “helped” her “slow down.” She also said she had the “calmest, most restful Christmas holiday” because of this. Her gratitude was also on full display, as she noted how “extraordinarily grateful and blessed” she felt to keep living life. Finally, she noted how much she appreciates everyone for “caring.” And that care kept going in the comments.
Many Celebrities, Including Michelle Pfeiffer, Alyssa Milano And More, Shared Their Support
After Evangeline Lilly shared this candid update on Instagram, her comments were flooded with love and support. If you’ve watched the Marvel movies in order, you know that this first comment from Michelle Pfeiffer means a whole lot, as she posted:
You are a warrior. Nothing-not even this will defeat you my friend. ❤️
Lilly’s Ant-Man and The Wasp co-star wasn’t the only big name in her comments, though. Alongside Pfeiffer, Alyssa Milano and more sent their love and support Lilly’s way, commenting things like:
- Thinking about you. ♥️- Alyssa Milano
- 💙💙💙- David Dastmalchian
- Wishing you well Evangeline♥️- Anna Silk
- Sending so much love and healing your way - Dia Frampton
- [Brain Performance Center] is an amazing resource. Sending prayers.❤️- Angela Ribeiro
This is reminiscent of what happened to Jeremy Renner three years ago. After he was hit by a snowplow, many actors, including Lilly, shared their support for him. And over the last few years, he’s been open about the challenges of the healing process and the gratitude he has for living and getting better.
Now, as the actress continues to heal, I’m sure she’ll share more updates about her journey. She does not have any projects on the 2026 movie schedule and hasn’t acted in years. However, as we learn more about how she’s doing, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
