Actress Jaimie Alexander, best known for her roles in Thor and Blindspot, has shared a harrowing account of how a near-fatal health crisis in 2018 forced her to confront her addiction to alcohol. The 41-year-old detailed her journey to sobriety in a candid Substack post published this week.
The Snowbound Trip That Sparked Panic
Alexander revealed that the pivotal moment occurred during a trip upstate from New York City with a new boyfriend. What was meant to be a romantic getaway quickly turned into 'absolute hell' when a massive snowstorm trapped them in a rented cabin. The situation became critically uncomfortable for Alexander when she realised they had no alcohol.
'Sure, we had a few bottles of water and some snacks… but do you know what we didn’t have? ALCOHOL,' she wrote. The actress described panicking because she had not brought her flask, and the isolation meant no way to procure any booze. The circumstance was especially awkward as her new partner was completely sober.
She managed to survive the night, though her boyfriend noticed she seemed 'frazzled.' The following evening, they drove back to her Brooklyn apartment, where Alexander's only thought was 'getting home and pouring bourbon down' her throat.
A Mysterious Aversion and a Medical Emergency
Upon arriving home, a strange thing happened. Despite her intense craving, she found herself unable to drink the glass of bourbon she had poured. 'I remember feeling like some kind of magnetic force was separating me from the bourbon,' she recounted.
The next day, she felt unwell at work on the set of Blindspot. Her trainer commented on her poor balance and unusual paleness. That night, the same invisible force prevented her from having a whisky. Her condition worsened dramatically the following day with the onset of a severe stomach ache.
The pain became so intense that Alexander was 'curled up in the fetal position' on her trailer floor. After a consultation, she was rushed to her OB-GYN, where she began experiencing what she described as contractions. Her doctor immediately identified the problem, telling her, 'Your appendix is rupturing. If they don’t remove it right away, I’ll come do it myself.'
A Life-Saving Epiphany and a New Beginning
At the hospital, tests confirmed her appendix had ruptured and she was developing sepsis, a life-threatening condition. As she was prepped for emergency surgery, Alexander believed she was dying. In that moment, a profound sense of calm and love replaced her fear.
She then had a stark internal dialogue. After deciding she wanted to live, a voice in her head responded, 'Then you can never drink again.' This moment provided her with 'pure clarity' about her alcoholism.
Alexander's surgery was successful, and she spent five days in hospital. The health scare became 'exactly what I needed to become aware of how I was living'. With support from her boyfriend, she began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Jaimie Alexander has now maintained her sobriety for seven years, crediting the near-death experience with saving her life in more ways than one.
