Lost actress Evangeline Lilly has revealed that she has sustained brain damage after falling and hitting her head on a boulder in Hawaii.
The accident took place last May when she fainted while at a beach on holiday. As she revealed at the time, she “fell face first into a boulder”, sharing photos of her bloodied face.
The actress, also known for her role as The Wasp in Marvel’s Ant-Man films, as well as The Hurt Locker and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, suffered a concussion, and just weeks later she announced that she planned to “step away” from acting for the “foreseeable future”.
On Friday (January 2), Lilly gave an update for fans, revealing the extent of her “traumatic brain injury (TBI)”.
“Verdict’s in…I do have brain damage from my tbi,” she wrote. “Comforting to know my cognitive decline isn’t just peri-menopause, discomforting to know what an uphill battle it will be to try to reverse the deficiencies. Thank you all for always asking, for always caring, and for your continued prayers.”
She went on to share that brain scans had revealed that “almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity”.
“My job is to get to the bottom of that with doctors and then embark on the hard work of fixing it, which I don’t look forward to because I feel like hard work is all I do,” she added. “But that’s okay. 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.”
Among those replying to her Instagram post was her Ant-Man co-star Michelle Pfeiffer, who wrote: “You are a warrior. Nothing – not even this will defeat you my friend”.
Announcing her break from acting last year, Lilly said: “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 fulfilment. I might return to Hollywood one day, but, for now, this is where I belong.”
She went on to clarify that she now intends to spend time focusing on her family and on her humanitarian work. “A new season has arrived, and I AM READY…and I AM HAPPY,” she concluded.
