Kate Beckinsale Makes Red Carpet Return After Hospitalization, ‘Rough Year’

Kate Beckinsale just made her return to the red carpet, weeks after an unexpected hospitalization led to her having a “rough year.” PEOPLE reports that the Underworld star stepped out on Thursday to attend the inaugural King’s Trust Gala in New York City on Thursday, May 2.

“It’s been a rough year,” Beckinsale told PEOPLE exclusively. “Because my parents have both been unwell and my cat … it’s been a bunch of things. So that’s why it’s nice to come and see friends and have a little perspective. Everyone’s had a bit of a rough year, I think.” Beckinsale later went on to share exactly why King’s Trust events are important to her. 

“First of all, usually when [King’s Trust Global Ambassador] Edward [Enninful] tells me to do something, I do it,” she quipped. “Second of all, I’ve been to this event a few times and you come in and you see all the people that you’re friends with that you haven’t seen for a while and that’s really nice. And then it gets like to that moment where the kids start talking and you’re like, this is why we’re all here. It’s so moving and inspiring.”

“And you really realize how much of an amazing job the King’s Trust does with these kids,” Beckinsale added. “Their whole futures are completely altered by this charity, It’s so important.”

Beckinsale’s big putting comes nearly two months after she wound up in the hospital, battling a health scare. While she has yet to disclose the reason for her hospitalization, the actress did make a social media post thanking her fans and followers for all the “support” they’ve given her.

“Thank you to those that love us and support us when it’s s— and try to make sure there are some bits that aren’t,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “And for looking after our dogs when we can’t, and lead us to remember happy things when we can’t. And turn up when we are sick and sit with us . . And send balloons and check in and pull us out of wells with love.”

Notably, this was not Beckinsale’s first time in a hospital this year, as back in January she ended up one due to her stepfather, TV director Roy Battersby, recovering from a stroke. Sadly, Battersby later passed away.