Gal Gadot's Shocking Health Battle: A Blood Clot in Her Brain During Pregnancy

Gal Gadot Reveals She Had a 'Massive Blood Clot' in Her Brain During Pregnancy: 'All I Wanted Was to Hold on and Live'

Gal Gadot is opening up about a life-threatening health crisis she experienced while pregnant with her fourth child.

The Wonder Woman actress, 39, detailed the “terrifying” event in an Instagram post on Sunday, Dec. 29, revealing that she was diagnosed with a “massive blood clot” in her brain during her eighth month of pregnancy.

“For weeks, I had endured excruciating headaches that confined me to bed, until I finally underwent an MRI that revealed the terrifying truth,” the star wrote. “In one moment, my family and I were faced with how fragile life can be. It was a stark reminder of how quickly everything can change, and in the midst of a difficult year, all I wanted was to hold on and live.”

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Gadot shared that she was rushed to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery and also gave birth to her daughter Ori, now 9 months old, during the procedure in March.

“Her name, meaning ‘my light,’ wasn’t chosen by chance," Gadot wrote of Ori. "Before the surgery, I told [my husband] Jaron that when our daughter arrived, she would be the light waiting for me at the end of this tunnel."

Gadot then went on to thank the “extraordinary team of doctors” at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles.

Gal Gadot Reveals She Had a 'Massive Blood Clot' in Her Brain During Pregnancy: 'All I Wanted Was to Hold on and Live'

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The Heart of Stone actress — who wrote in the post that she is now “fully healed” — urged people to listen to their bodies.

“Pain, discomfort or even subtle changes often carry a deeper meaning, and being attuned to your body can be life saving,” she continued, adding that “awareness matters.”

“I had no idea that 3 in 100,000 pregnant women in the 30s+ age group are diagnosed with CVT (develop a blood clot in the brain). It’s so important to identify early because it’s treatable. While rare, it’s a possibility, and knowing it exists is the first step to addressing it," Gadot wrote.

The mother of four reassured her fans that she did not intend to “frighten anyone" with her post, but rather hopes to “empower" them.

“If even one person feels compelled to take action for their health because of this story, it will have been worth sharing,” she concluded, while noting that she hopes sharing her personal experience will pull “back the curtain on the fragile reality behind the curated moments we share on social media.”

The Red Notice actress also shared the post on her Instagram Stories and included a link to an informational page about strokes from the American Heart Association.

Gal Gadot Reveals She Had a 'Massive Blood Clot' in Her Brain During Pregnancy: 'All I Wanted Was to Hold on and Live'

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Gadot initially announced the birth of her fourth child on Instagram in March, though she made no mention of the harrowing medical situation at the time.

“My sweet girl, welcome,” Gadot captioned a photo of herself cradling Ori in a hospital bed at the time.

“The pregnancy was not easy and we made it through," she continued, adding, "You have brought so much light into our lives, living up to your name, Ori, which means ‘my light’ in Hebrew. Our hearts are full of gratitude. Welcome to the house of girls.. 👯‍♀️👯‍♀️ daddy is pretty cool too 😉❤️."

Gadot, who is married to film producer Jaron Varsano, is also mom to Alma, 13, Maya, 7, and Daniella, 3.

Rachel Zegler's Tearful Speech: Love for 'Everybody' Amid Snow White Drama

Rachel Zegler Cries in Emotional Speech, Says She Loves 'Everybody' at Snow White Screening amid Controversies

Rachel Zegler is showing gratitude for her Snow White role.

Ahead of a recent early screening of the live-action Snow White remake, Zegler surprised fans when she appeared and gave an emotional speech about what playing the Disney princess has meant to her.

"This is a movie that is so close to my heart. I auditioned for this movie when I was 19 years old and I am about to turn 24," Zegler said, in video shared by Disney. "So it's a really big chunk of my life, and about five of the seven years of my career, which is crazy. I love everybody in this movie so dearly."

Zegler reflected on her journey playing the titular character, who first appeared in 1937's animated Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, sharing that seeing the movie come to life has been "emotional" for her.

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"Coming to the end of this road of this release feels really crazy because when you spend so much time with something, it becomes such a big part of you and a big part of your heart. Snow White has really been that way for me and to see this is really emotional for me. So I'm going to try not do that," Zegler said, her voice cracking a little.

"I love her and I am so glad to see that so many of you love her as well," Zegler continued. "Her superpower is her heart. It's nothing supernatural. It's something that all of us have. Deep within us, there is an inherit good and belief in the kindness of humanity."

"I hope that you walk away from this film understanding what the true meaning of fair is. I really hope that for the world as well. Thank you so much for allowing me to be your Snow White. It means the world to me."

Zegler's speech comes amid tensions plaguing Disney’s live-action remake ahead of its March 21 release, which has extended to both the West Side Story actress and her costar Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen.

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A source told PEOPLE that Gadot and Zegler have "nothing in common" due to their age difference and “on top of that, their political views differ, adding to the tension."

Zegler and Gadot have appeared at multiple events in the past to promote their long-delayed film, including at Disney’s D23 Expo in 2022 and at the recent Academy Awards, where they presented the Best Visual Effects category together. They posed together at the film's Los Angeles premiere on Saturday, March 15.

Rachel Zegler Cries in Emotional Speech, Says She Loves 'Everybody' at Snow White Screening amid Controversies

After her casting announcement in 2021, Zegler faced racist backlash from social media users over her being of Latinx background and playing the Disney princess. (Zegler is of Colombian and Polish descent.) Zegler also made headlines when she said in interviews that the new movie would modernize Snow White and that the original was “dated.”

While speaking with Vogue Mexico, Zegler addressed negative reactions over her casting as well as past statements she's made about the original animation, saying audiences were being protective over the famous princess.

“I interpret people’s feelings about this film as their passion for her and what an honor to be a part of something that people are so passionate about,” Zegler said. “We are not always going to have the same feelings as everyone around us and all that we can do is do our best." (Zegler's interview was conducted in Spanish. Quotes were independently translated from Spanish to English by PEOPLE.)

Snow White is in theaters March 21.