Gal Gadot may be known for playing a superhero on the big screen, but the actress just revealed a real-life battle that required a different kind of strength.
The Wonder Woman alum, , had fans across social media reaching for the tissues after she shared the harrowing details of a “massive” blood clot she suffered while eight months pregnant with her fourth daughter, Ori.
While accepting the Hollywood Icon Award from the Women’s Guild Cedars-Sinai, Gadot got candid about the February health scare that left her questioning if she would make it through the night.
“I started to feel the kind of headache that makes the world stop,” Gadot told the audience, recalling how she tried to “push through” the pain for three weeks. It wasn’t until her mother called from Israel and insisted she get an MRI that the star realized something was terribly wrong.
The news was every mother’s nightmare. “Before we even got back home, my phone rang and my doctor said, ‘You need to come to the hospital right now. It’s serious. You have a massive brain clot,’” she remembered.
The actress admitted that her mind immediately went to the unthinkable. “All I could think was, ‘Am I gonna die? Is this how it feels before you die? Are they going to be able to save me? Is the baby gonna be okay?'”
What followed was a scene straight out of an action movie. Gadot’s husband, Jaron Varsano, “drove like he was in Fast and Furious” to get her to Cedars-Sinai, where doctors delivered an ultimatum: “We need to get the baby out.”
Within three hours, baby Ori—whose name means “my light” in Hebrew—was born. But the battle wasn’t over. The very next morning, while her husband held their newborn, Gadot underwent the procedure that saved her life.
“When I woke up, I realized that I had been given two gifts,” Gadot shared emotionally. “One in my arms, Ori. And one in my heart—a second chance.”
Gadot, who is also mom to daughters Alma, , Maya, , and Daniella, , is now using her platform to urge other women to prioritize their health. Taking to Instagram, she reminded her followers: “Listen to your body. Don’t ignore the signs, don’t postpone check-ups, and don’t feel guilty about putting your health first.”
In a final, touching tribute, the star noted that while she was the one on stage, the “real heroes” are the medical teams who work behind the scenes every day.
“It’s so good to be alive,” she told the crowd. And after a story like that, we couldn’t agree more.
Have you ever had to advocate for your own health? Let us know your story in the comments.
