Evangeline Lilly Opens Up About Her Recovery Journey After a Concussion

Evangeline Lilly in 2022; Lilly after fainting in May 2025.
Credit: Corey Nickols/Getty; Evangeline Lilly/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Evangeline Lilly revealed she has brain damage in a new “concussion update” video shared on Instagram on January 2.
• The actress stated that new test results indicated “almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity.”
• Lilly suffered a concussion in May after fainting and falling face-first onto a boulder.

Evangeline Lilly disclosed that she has brain damage months after originally reporting a concussion caused by a fall in May. In an Instagram video posted on January 2, the actress discussed her ongoing recovery.

The 46-year-old, known for her role in Lost, described her condition in what she called a “concussion update.” This is one of several updates she’s shared about her recovery since revealing her traumatic brain injury (TBI) last year.

“I’m entering into this new year, the Year of the Horse, with some bad news about my concussion,” Lilly said in the video. “A lot of you asked how I’m doing. A lot of you have inquired about the brain scans that you heard I got. And the results came back from the scans.”

According to the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star—who announced her departure from acting shortly after her initial concussion—the test results showed that “almost every area in my brain is functioning at a decreased capacity.”

“So I do have brain damage from the TBI,” Lilly stated, “and possibly other factors going on.”

In her address, she discussed her next steps, focusing on working with doctors to understand her condition. “But now my job is to get to the bottom of that with doctors and then embark on the hard work of fixing it,” she said, adding with humor, “I don’t look forward to because I feel like hard work is all I do. 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.”

Lilly expressed feelings of gratitude and appreciation for her support system, reaffirming that she feels “extraordinarily grateful” and “blessed.”

In her update caption, she mentioned it was “comforting” to know that her cognitive decline was not a result of perimenopause. “Verdict’s in… I do have brain damage from my TBI,” she wrote. “Comforting to know my cognitive decline isn’t just perimenopause, 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 🌺.”

Following her announcement, Lilly received an outpouring of support from fans and fellow celebrities, including Michelle Pfeiffer and Alyssa Milano. Pfeiffer encouraged her, stating, “You are a warrior. Nothing—not even this will defeat you my friend,” while Milano added, “Thinking about you.”

Last year, Lilly suffered her concussion after fainting at the beach and falling face-first onto a boulder. She later shared details about her experience in a Substack post, noting that she has experienced fainting spells since childhood. Even during her recovery, she remained positive, expressing gratitude for the need to reconnect with herself after the incident. “It might seem crazy looking at my face and my busted tooth, but I feel so grateful that I blacked out,” she reflected. “I needed the reset.”

Evangeline Lilly after fainting and falling on her face in 2025.
Evangeline Lilly/Instagram