The Clueless alumnus said she “bit into it” to find out if it was a tomato, but commentators said it was the poisonous Jerusalem artichoke
Alicia Silverstone sparked online concerns for her welfare after posting a TikTok video of herself eating a fruit she found on the streets of England – a fruit that many commentators described as poisonous.
“I have discovered something I don’t know what it is and I need your help,” said the Clueless The 47-year-old alumna began her video by showing the seed-filled insides of a small, bright orange fruit she found on the streets of England.
“I just bit into it because it was lying on the street and we were debating whether it was a tomato or not,” she said before accidentally dropping the orange fruit on the ground.
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“It’s definitely not that,” she noted of the possibility that it was a tomato, panning the camera to where the dense plant grows behind a fence.
“Look at these leaves. Those are the leaves. What the hell is that? Because when you open it, it looks like this,” she said, panning to where the seeds of the fruit she had dropped had fallen to the ground.
Silverstone then took a bite on camera and said: “When I bite into this – I don’t think it’s allowed to be eaten. But it’s almost like a pepper. Does anyone know what this is?”
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According to commentators, the fruit is a Jerusalem cherry, the consumption of which is “harmful” according to the Northern New England Poison Center.
Eating a small amount of the berries or leaves can cause “stomach nausea, vomiting or diarrhea,” while consuming a larger amount can cause drowsiness, hallucinations or “heart problems,” the organization said.