‘Blindspot’ Star Jaimie Alexander Reveals Medical Emergency That Nearly Killed Her

Jaimie Alexander is sharing the story of how a near-death medical scare encouraged her to get sober.

The Blindspot star, 41, opened up about the life-changing experience on her Substack on Nov. 16, revealing that her struggles with alcoholism led her to a turning point in March 2018.

Describing herself as an alcoholic who would “drink heavily, make terrible decisions, and justify some pretty s— behavior,” Alexander wrote that she came to “the beginning of the end” when she got snowed in while on a trip with her new boyfriend.

“No booze anywhere. Believe me—I checked every nook and cranny,” she wrote. “I should probably mention that, at this point, I hadn’t gone a single day without a drink in years. Yikes. Panic started creeping in. I didn’t have my flask with me, and honestly, I had no clue how I was going to survive the night sober while pretending everything was fine in front of my new boyfriend. I felt like I was standing at the gates of hell, trying not to sweat.”

While she was eager for a drink upon returning home the following night, she felt off and found herself unable to have any alcohol for the next couple of days. During that period of sobriety, Alexander said she felt dizzy, irritable, and shaky, but she was “unaware that [she] had become a ticking time bomb.”

It was while she was on set for Blindspot that Alexander began experiencing extreme stomach pains that left her unable to stand. “Soon I was sweating, pale as a ghost, curled up in the fetal position on the floor of my trailer, unable to stand,” she recalled. “I reached for my phone and called a producer for help… It was THE WORST pain of my life.”

After being rushed to the hospital, Alexander learned her appendix was rupturing and that she needed to be rushed into surgery to remove it. “I had never been so afraid in my life,” she wrote. “I was screaming in pain. At the ER, I was rushed through a CT scan. They told me my appendix had fully ruptured and I was entering sepsis. They stripped me, wiped me down with something orange, and prepped me for emergency surgery. I remembered feeling extremely hot. Like my body was on fire from the inside.”

Before going into surgery, Alexander had a moment of clarity when she felt a “warm, powerful sense of peace” that she initially thought was death until she heard “a voice” from “somewhere deep inside” of her.

That voice, which was “resonating through every fiber of my being,” told her that she “can never drink again” if she wanted to live.

“A light switched on inside me. PURE CLARITY,” she said. “I promised the voice I would never drink again. And in that moment, I knew I would survive the surgery. I knew everything would be okay. I knew I was safe.”

Ever since that day, Alexander said she’s been sober. “Looking back, what I thought was bad and the worst thing to ever happen to me ended up being good and the best thing that ever happened to me,” she shared. “I was given a second chance by something greater than myself, and I chose to take it.”

She added, “It took almost dying for me to wake up and start living.”

The Thor actress concluded her post by encouraging people to ask for help and know that they aren’t alone, even if they are struggling.

“Since I’ve been sober, I have managed to take all that pain, all that deep childhood sadness, all that rage, and turn it into a strong cement base beneath my feet — one I stand on, solid and grounded, ready to embrace whatever life throws my way,” she said. “We can do this thing called life—together. One day at a time.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). SAMHSA’s National Helpline is free, confidential and available 24/7.