Alicia Silverstone says she is “alive and well” after sparking concern among fans for eating a potentially poisonous berry she picked in the garden of her London home.
The 47-year-old actress posted an update on her TikTok account on Tuesday, reassuring her 4.3 million followers on the platform that she was fine after an earlier post sparked concerns about her well-being.
The San Francisco native said, “Alive and well! Don’t worry… I didn’t swallow,” adding emojis of a winking face and a face with a tongue out to the text update.
Silverstone, who has starred in films such as “Clueless,” “Batman & Robin” and “The Crush,” caused a stir on Monday when she posted a video of herself biting into a small orange berry that can cause fever and excruciating stomach pain.
Silverstone, who rose to fame through her appearances in Aerosmith videos such as “Cryin’, Amazing” and “Crazy,” asked her followers “what the heck” it was, to which they responded that the berry in question was apparently a “poisonous” Jerusalem artichoke.
Alicia Silverstone, 47, says she is “alive and well” after sparking concern among fans when she ate a potentially poisonous berry she picked in the garden of her London home
The Batman & Robin actress posted an update on her TikTok account on Tuesday, assuring her 4.3 million followers that she was fine after an earlier post sparked concern
Medical experts say that eating Jerusalem artichokes is unsafe because symptoms include fever, sweating, vomiting, stomach pain, headache and increased heart rate.
In her first clip on Monday, Silverstone said: “I’ve spotted something and I can’t figure out what it is and I need your help – I just bit into it because I was on the street and we were debating whether this is a tomato or not.”
“Based on the leaves, it’s definitely not a tomato – so what the hell is it?”
After holding the orange berry up to the camera, Silverstone confessed that she thought it was inedible.
“I don’t think you should eat it, but it tastes almost like pepper,” said Silverstone. “Does anyone know what it is? I need someone to tell me, I’m in England.”
Several fans referenced Silverstone’s signature role as Cher Horowitz in the 1995 Amy Heckerling hit “Clueless.”
One user wrote, “The captain of the Pismo Beach Disaster Relief is marked SAFE!” while another quoted her character in the film as saying, “AS IF!!!!”
Another fan said, “Forever, my clueless goddess,” in reference to the film, which also starred Stacey Dash, Paul Rudd, Breckin Meyer and the late Brittany Murphy.
Silverstone filmed herself picking a small orange berry and biting into it while asking fans “what the hell” it was
Silverstone received mixed reactions after she said she was fine
Other fans said they were relieved that she had not suffered any health problems from eating the berry. One fan said, “Glad you’re OK, Alicia,” and another, “What a relief.”
Some alluded to the widespread distribution of the social media post, with one person saying, “The media is going crazy over your berry flavor!” while another said, “CNN covered your street snack.”
After Silverstone’s first post, fans quickly commented that eating the berry was dangerous.
One social media user commented: “Oh my god NO!! The Jerusalem cherry is a very poisonous nightshade. Hope you’re OK.”
Another said: “Girl! Berries are either awesome or damn poisonous! Don’t eat any bush stuff,” while another fan said: “She clearly has no clue…”
Others warned that the berries could cause itching and were definitely not safe to eat.
Solanum pseudocapsicum, also known as Christmas cherry or Jerusalem cherry, is a small bushy, evergreen shrub that produces dark, glossy leaves and red or orange berries.
The plant belongs to the nightshade family, is “harmful if eaten” and should be handled with gloves, according to the Royal Horticultural Society.
Silverstone filmed herself unknowingly eating a potentially dangerous plant. She picked the berry from a London garden with her bare hands and took a bite (left). The plant belongs to the nightshade family (right, squashed on the ground), is “harmful if eaten” and should be handled with gloves, according to the Royal Horticultural Society.
Dr Hana Patel, a general practitioner with the NHS, warned that eating the plant could be fatal and that deaths linked to eating the plant have been reported in the past.
She said: “When plants or fruits are eaten, the first symptoms may be fever, sweating, vomiting, stomach pain, headache and increased heart rate. Symptoms do not appear for several hours and may last for several days.”
She added that it can also cause allergic skin reactions.
Dr Duane Mellor, nutritionist and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, said: “Although the ripe Jerusalem cherry contains fewer toxic components than the unripe fruit and leaves, it is still poisonous.”
“It should therefore not be consumed as it can often cause gastrointestinal complaints such as pain, nausea and diarrhea, as well as possibly delirium, fever and visual disturbances.”
Mellor added: “It is important that people only eat fruits that they know or are sure are safe.”
