Aubrey Plaza Robbed of Ability to Speak by Potentially Deadly Stroke: 'I Was Paralyzed and Lost My Motor Skills'
Aubrey Plaza has reflected on the stroke she suffered when she was 20.
Sept. 12 2024, Published 2:50 p.m. ET
Aubrey Plaza once suffered a medical scare that almost threatened her career as an actress.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Parks and Recreation alum has opened up about a stroke she suffered when she was 20 – and which left her paralyzed.
Plaza, 40, reflected on the harrowing event and the impact it had on her life during an interview with Howard Stern.
Plaza was left temporarily paralyzed amid the health scare 20 years ago.
During her appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Plaza explained she suffered the sudden stoke while out with friends in New York City.
She told the radio host: "It was wild.
"The craziest thing about it – and kind of the coolest thing about it – it happened mid-sentence. I took the train to Astoria to have lunch with my friends and I walked into their apartment – I hadn't even taken my jacket off – and it just happened."
The Parks and Recreation actress said: "That's when I was paralyzed, but only really for a minute or something."
While Plaza described the initial experience as "cool", her condition quickly turned "terrifying" when she became temporarily paralyzed and forgot how to speak.
She continued: "That's when I was paralyzed, but only really for a minute or something.
"I lost my motor skills really briefly. The freakiest thing was I forgot how to talk."
Plaza's friends initially thought she was "making a joke" – but they quickly called an ambulance.
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Despite the severity of her symptoms, the White Lotus star revealed her friends did not initially think she was being serious.
During a 2017 interview, in which she also reflected on her stroke, Plaza said: "My friends thought I was making a joke or that I was just – I don't know. I was always doing something stupid."
Thankfully, her pals quickly understood she wasn't playing a prank and called an ambulance.
Plaza admitted the incident made her more grateful and changed her outlook on life.
She added: "After a couple of minutes they kept saying, 'Do you want us to call an ambulance?' And I was aware enough to shake my head yes."
But the actress wasn't out of the woods just yet. She explained due to her age, responding paramedics initially assumed her condition was due to drugs rather than a stroke.
Plaza continued: "The paramedics came, and, I think because I was so young, didn't assume that I had had a stroke.
"They were thinking that I was dehydrated. They kept asking me if I'd taken drugs, and I hadn't. I hadn't really put anything into my body that day, except for birth control, which ended up being maybe the cause of the stroke."
Now, 20 years after the medical scare, Plaza considers herself "lucky" and thankful her brain "healed itself really fast".
The Ingrid Goes West star said: "I guess it sounds cheesy to say, but I think I always am aware of how precious life is.
"I try to remember that every day. I try to see the bigger picture and try not to take things so seriously. I do have an overall feeling of 'life is short.' And I might as well just do as much as I can."
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