Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly has disclosed that a severe fall she suffered in 2025 led to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and lasting brain damage.
The incident occurred on a beach in Hawaii, where the 46-year-old fainted and fell face-first onto a boulder.
In a Substack post published in May 2025, Lilly shared disturbing images of her injuries and revealed that she had “a hole punctured into my face by the rock.”
Lilly also explained that she has experienced fainting episodes for much of her life, which doctors had previously—but not definitively—attributed to hypoglycemia.
Providing a fresh update in a video shared on Instagram at the start of 2026, the actress revealed the outcome of recent medical scans, saying they showed widespread impairment across her brain.
“It is the first day of 2026, and I am entering this new year with bad news about my concussion. Many of you asked how I have been doing and inquired about the brain scans you heard I got,” she said.
“The results have returned, and almost every area of my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity. I do have brain damage from the traumatic brain injury (TBI) and possibly other factors, but my focus now is to get to the bottom of this with my doctors and begin the hard work of fixing it. Which I don’t look forward to because hard work is all I do.”
Despite the sobering diagnosis, Lilly said the injury has unexpectedly forced her to slow down, leading to what she described as her most peaceful holiday season in years.
“My cognitive decline since I injured my face has helped me slow down and have a more restful 2025. This was the calmest, most restful Christmas holiday I have had in years, perhaps since I had children about 14 years ago, and I chose to see that as a good thing,” she explained.
She added that she remains thankful despite the challenges ahead. “Feeling extraordinarily grateful and blessed to be alive for one more day and one more year on this beautiful planet. That’s my concussion update. Thanks for caring.”
In a caption accompanying the video, Lilly admitted to mixed emotions about her diagnosis, expressing both relief and concern.
“Comforting to know my cognitive decline isn’t just perimenopause, discomforting to know what an uphill battle it will be to try to reverse the deficiencies,” she wrote.
Lilly is widely known for her roles in Lost, The Hobbit film series, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2024, she announced she was stepping away from acting indefinitely to focus on other aspects of her life.
