Beloved TV actress reveals brain tumor diagnosis

Alabama Life & CultureBusy Philipps revealed she was diagnosed with a rare malignant brain tumor and underwent two surgeries during what she called the "weirdest six months" of her life. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)Jordan Strauss/Invision/APActress Busy Philipps disclosed Wednesday that she was diagnosed with a rare malignant brain tumor and underwent two brain surgeries in what she described as the “weirdest six months” of her life, Page Six reports.The 47-year-old discovered the grade 2 oligodendroglioma during a scan on Feb. 12, 2026, one day after her former “Dawson’s Creek” co-star James Van Der Beek died of cancer. In a cover story for PEOPLE, Philipps said she is “grateful to be alive” and called herself “the luckiest girl in the world.”Philipps scheduled the scan after her cousin-in-law, internist Dr. Justin Donlan, told her that “knowledge is power.” Her primary care doctor originally discouraged the full-body MRI in 2025, but her ex-husband, Marc Silverstein, convinced her to keep the February appointment. When a neurologist confirmed the mass was a tumor, Philipps recalled the doctor saying, “Busy, it’s got to come out.”Surgeons removed the 2.6-centimeter mass during a five-hour procedure on March 2. Dr. Alexandra Miller, a neuro-oncologist, noted that the tumor would have been two or three times the size had it not been detected early. Miller clarified that while the mass is considered malignant, it has the “best prognosis of all of the malignant gliomas.”Philipps faced a setback one month into her recovery when her dermatologist noticed a problem with the incision site during a Botox session. She had contracted a staphylococcus infection that required a second surgery in April. She recalled feeling “really, really upset” by the complication, stating she felt as though she was “back to square one.”The actress shared the diagnosis with her two children, Birdie, 18, and Cricket, 13. She recalled telling her eldest daughter, “Birdie, you’re just not in the movie where your mom dies your senior year of high school. That’s just not the movie that you’re in. I promise you.”Reflecting on the years before her diagnosis, Philipps said she previously told her close friend Michelle Williams that she felt as though her “brain is broken.” She no longer feels that way and encourages others to advocate for their own health.“There’s nothing to be afraid of in having information,” Philipps said. “It’s only empowering.”Megan Sims is a viral reporter for cleveland.com and a Cleveland native. She covers topics ranging from celebrity news, national business news, social media and more. Previously, Megan covered various lifestyle...This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by AL.com staff.