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(NEXSTAR) – Evangeline Lilly, the actress hailing from Canada and celebrated for her roles in “Lost” and the “Ant-Man” series, has recently revealed that she is suffering from brain damage following a fall on a Hawaiian beach last year.
On Friday, the 46-year-old shared an update via Instagram, initiating the video by announcing troubling news about her concussion.
Back in May, Lilly took to Instagram to recount how she “fainted at the beach” and collided face-first with a boulder. She further elaborated in a Substack post, mentioning her history of “fainting spells” since childhood, which prompted tests for epilepsy. Although initially diagnosed with hypoglycemia without conclusive tests, this was subsequently dismissed.
Despite receiving medical attention after her beach mishap, the tests showed no abnormalities. Nonetheless, Lilly admitted that the “blackout and resulting injuries forced me to drop everything.”
In the ensuing months, Lilly kept her followers updated on her journey to recovery. In June, she appealed to her social media audience to “please be patient and gentle” with her. By July, she announced her plans to consult with a brain specialist.
“Almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity,” Lilly said in an Instagram post on Friday, discussing brain scan results she had received. “So I do have brain damage from the TBI, and possibly other factors going on.”
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Lilly said she now has to “get to the bottom of that with the doctors, and then embark on the hard work of fixing it.”
A TBI, or traumatic brain injury, can be caused by a blow or jolt to the head or body, the Mayo Clinic explains. Falls, hard hits to the head, and car crashes are common causes, according to the Cleveland Clinic, as well as “when something goes through your skull.”
A TBI can give you headaches, cause confusion, impact your short-term memory, and prompt mood or behavior changes. In some cases, TBIs can be severe, causing permanent disability or death, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says.
“My cognitive decline, since I smashed my face open, has helped me to slow down and helped me to have a more restful finish to my 2025,” Lilly added.
Lilly appeared to announce she was stepping away from acting in 2024, writing on Instagram that “stepping away from what seems like the obvious choice (wealth and fame) can feel scary at times, but stepping into your dharma replaces the fear with fulfillment.”
“Feeling extraordinarily grateful and blessed to be able to play one more day, one more year, on this beautiful living planet, and that is my concussion update,” she concluded Friday’s video. “Thank you all for caring.”
Lilly is well-known for her roles as Kate Austen in all six seasons of ABC’s hit show “Lost,” as well as appearances in Marvel’s three “Ant-Man” films and “Avengers: Endgame.” Her resume also includes roles in “The Hurt Locker,” Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” film franchise, and “Real Steel.” Her most recent acting title was as Hope Van Dyne, or Wasp, in the 2023 film, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
Outside of acting, Lilly has authored “The Squickerwonkers,” a series of children’s books, and has remained involved in humanitarian work in Rwanda for over a decade.
Nexstar’s Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.