'Willy Wonka' Star Doing 'Much Better' After Suffering Near-Fatal Massive Stroke

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory star Denise Nickerson is doing "much better" after she suffered a near-fatal massive stroke, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.

Nickerson's daughter-in-law, Jasmine, said the star who played gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 classic film is currently at home and in good spirits.

"Denise was supposed to be in a nursing center but she wasn't cooperative," Jasmine told RadarOnline.com. "She wanted to be home so doctors allowed that and she's here with us."

As RadarOnline.com reported after Nickerson suffered the medical emergency in July, her son, Josh, said his mom was "not fully cognizant" and couldn't walk or talk.

Nickerson was then forced to undergo surgery shortly after she ripped out her feeding tube, leaving loved ones even more worried about her longterm prognosis.

Thankfully, it seems Nickerson is slowly recovering from the potentially deadly stroke.

"She can walk but only for a few minutes," Jasmine said, noting that Nickerson "walks between her bedroom and bath. She can use the restroom on her home and she's saying things like 'I love you,' 'hello,' and 'good morning.' She can't write though and that's because her right hand isn't strong enough."