Sharon Stone received a standing ovation after giving an emotional speech at the Women’s Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) fundraiser An Unforgettable Evening. The Oscar nominee Basic instinct actress paid tribute to others honored at the event and talked about her health struggles, encouraging those in attendance to support the WCRF.
Fox business notes that Stone underwent breast reconstruction in 2001 after doctors removed benign tumors, which she later discovered were large fibroids that required more surgery. The 65-year-old actress also talked about her health challenges in her memoir, The beauty of twice life, including the fact that she had one and a half times more breast tissue removed than initially reported. At the WCRF event, she shared a poignant moment about her hairstylist — who did her hair after she received her first chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer — and then tearfully urged the crowd to donate more money to the cause.
Although she didn’t give much detail, The Hollywood Reporter highlighted Stone’s admission that she “just lost half my money to this banking business.” She was probably referring to the recent collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and the subsequent turmoil in the financial markets. The California-based bank, which primarily serves tech startups, was shut down by regulators on March 10 following a liquidity crisis. The government has since announced plans to ensure customers have access to their money.
Stone also spoke about the recent passing of her brother, Patrick Stone, 57, who died of heart disease: “My brother just passed away,” she said, “and that doesn’t mean I’m not here. This is not an easy time for each of us this is a difficult time in the world but let me tell you something i will not let a politician tell me what i can and cannot do how i can and cannot live and what the value of my life is and is not. So stand up. Stand up and say what you’re worth. I defy you. That’s what courage is.”