EXCLUSIVE: Penélope Cruz's Brain Aneurysm Scare 'Has Sent Star's Head Into a Spin'
Penélope Cruz's brain aneurysm scare left the Spanish screen queen deeply shaken.
Aug. 1 2026, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Penélope Cruz has shockingly admitted she's had "many scares" regarding her health – months after revealing she was warned of a potential brain aneurysm that turned out to be a false alarm, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
During an appearance at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Cruz, 52, shared that she received the disturbing news about her noggin while shooting The Black Ball.
Cruz Reveals Terrifying Health Scare
Penélope Cruz recalled thinking she was 'about to die,' after doctors warned of a possible brain aneurysm.
The Oscar winner – who won the Best Supporting Actress trophy in 2009 for her performance in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona – described a doctor dropping the bombshell on the eve of her night-shoot sequences playing a cabaret singer in the flick.
"We're about to go out. I was putting on my wig, and they said, 'Oh, apparently you have some brain aneurysm,'" she recalled.
"I thought I was about to die. This is something that was totally surreal in my life."
Cruz explained that she was medically cleared to continue her work and said of the experience, "I thought, 'It's a total miracle. I have to, I must have this in me.'"
The brunette beauty also praised the film's production team for their support throughout the ordeal.
Cruz Embraces Health-First Mindset
The Cannes Film Festival saw Cruz recount her suspected brain aneurysm, which she later said was 'a false alarm.'
She added: "You experience these things together, yet despite all this, despite the hardship, you can move forward in life."
Recently speaking of the disturbing brain damage fears, Cruz – who shared son Leo, 15, and daughter Luna, 12, with actor-husband Javier Bardem, critically acclaimed star of No Country for Old Men – revealed: "I have had many scares like that. Fortunately, I'm fine. It was a false alarm."
But the Vanilla Sky actress seemed to suggest the scares have inspired her to focus on her well-being, and she has been vocal about women's health.
Cruz Champions Women's Health
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Cruz called for greater investment in research into illnesses affecting women.
"It's shocking that over decades, we've stuck to the same information about how women's bodies work," she said. "Look at funding for investigation into any illness that affects only women – we don't get even half the investment. It is a level of control or suppression."
Cruz confided: "I worry about staying healthy, taking care of myself. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I really don't party.
"Without health, we have nothing."
