Busy Philipps reveals brain tumour diagnosis: ‘I’m grateful to be alive’

Actress Busy Philipps revealed she had undergone brain tumor removal surgery. The 47-year-old, born Elizabeth Philipps, was diagnosed with a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare low-grade tumor, shortly after her Dawson's Creek co-star James Van Der Beek, who died of bowel cancer in February at age 48.

Philipps described the six months leading up to her diagnosis as the "weirdest six months of my life." Despite showing no obvious symptoms like seizures, she decided to have a full-body MRI screening, which led to the tumor's discovery. In March, she underwent a five-hour surgery to remove a 2.6cm mass from her brain.

Philipps felt reassured by her doctors, who told her that the scan was unnecessary, but she still chose to have it. She explained that she assumed certain behaviors were due to perimenopause, even though her brain felt "broken." Her doctor couldn't confirm if the symptoms were related to the tumor or not.

She considered canceling the scan, as it coincided with Van Der Beek's death and an audition for a role in the legal drama Cupertino. However, her ex-husband, film-maker Marc Silverstein, encouraged her to get the scan. After the surgery, Philipps said she was not in pain and recovered quickly. Friends and family, including co-star Michelle Williams, wished her a speedy recovery, providing her with delicious food during her hospital stay.

Despite contracting a staphylococcus infection in her incision shortly after filming began, Philipps felt grateful that everything had been caught early. She expressed gratitude for her luck, saying, "What am I? The luckiest girl in the world?"