Busy Philipps reveals brain tumour diagnosis after 'weirdest six months'
Australian audiences know Busy Philipps from her roles in Dawson's Creek and Freaks and Geeks. The 47-year-old actress has now shared a deeply personal health journey, revealing she was diagnosed with a rare malignant brain tumour earlier this year and underwent two brain surgeries.
Philipps told People magazine in a cover story that she is grateful to be alive after what she called the weirdest six months of her life. The tumour, a Grade 2 oligodendroglioma, was discovered during a full-body MRI on February 12, the day after her Dawson's Creek co-star James Van Der Beek died of cancer.
How was the tumour found?
Philipps had been advised against getting the health scan in 2025 by her primary care doctor. However, a conversation with a relative, Dr Justin Donlan, changed her mind. The internist told her that knowledge is power, a message that resonated with the actress.
Her January appointment was postponed to February. She considered cancelling altogether, but her ex-husband, Marc Silverstein, encouraged her to keep the booking. When a lesion was found on her brain, Philipps texted Silverstein with what she described as comical messages.
I wrote, 'OMG I have a brain tumour'. And he wrote back, 'Busy, what? What are you saying? What are you talking about?' I was like, 'It looks fine. It's probably benign. I don't know'.
A subsequent MRI and consultation with a neurologist confirmed the diagnosis. The doctor told her plainly: this is a real tumour, it is inside your brain, and it has to come out.
What did the surgery involve?
The 2.6cm mass was removed during a five-hour procedure on March 2. Philipps' neuro-oncologist, Dr John Golfinos, explained that early detection made a significant difference. Had it been left longer, the tumour would have been two or three times larger and much harder to remove completely.
Golfinos clarified that while the tumour is considered malignant, it carries the best prognosis of all malignant gliomas. It is defined as cancerous based on its ability to regrow over time, rather than appearing aggressively malignant under a microscope.
What happened after the first surgery?
One month into her recovery, Philipps contracted staphylococcus at the incision site. The infection was spotted during a Botox session when her dermatologist expressed concern. A second surgery was required to clear the infection, a setback that left the actress feeling like she was back to square one.
Philipps also spoke about subtle symptoms she had noticed in recent years. She had told her close friend Michelle Williams that she felt like her brain was broken, without knowing exactly why.
I wasn't consciously aware that anything was really wrong, but there was something that was misfiring. Like, I could not get a handle on it.
How did her children react?
Philipps has two children: Birdie, 18, and Cricket, 13. Her eldest was overwhelmed with emotion, while her younger daughter took a more direct approach, asking if her mother would be fine. Philipps reassured both of them with characteristic warmth.
She told Birdie: you are not in the movie where your mum dies your senior year of high school. That is just not the movie you are in. To Cricket, she said she would be totally fine.
What is Philipps' message now?
The actress is now recovering and says she no longer feels like her brain is broken. She is using her experience to encourage others to seek information about their health, even when doctors suggest there is nothing to worry about.
We are frequently told by doctors that there is nothing to worry about when you kind of know that there's something to worry about. There's nothing to be afraid of in having information. It's only empowering.
Philipps' story highlights the value of early detection and the importance of advocating for your own health. Her openness about the diagnosis, the surgeries, and the emotional toll on her family offers a candid look at a difficult journey, delivered with the honesty her fans have come to expect.