Is Alicia Silvestone still alive after eating poisonous fruit?

It’s not often that a celebrity puts their own life on the line on camera, but that’s exactly what Alicia Silverstone did in a video she posted to her social media channels on August 19. In the video, Alicia picks and eats an apparently poisonous fruit in London.

When people realized that the fruit was actually poisonous, many feared that Alicia would not survive eating it. Here’s what happened to the actress and if she’s still alive.

In the video she posted, Alicia asks her followers if they know what this fruit is and then reaches through a fence to pick one from a garden. Alicia then shows the camera a small, orange fruit after taking a bite of it.

“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 in the video.

“It’s definitely not that, because look at these leaves,” she continued. “Those are the leaves, so what the hell is that?”

She continued as she began to better understand the taste of the fruit.

“I don’t think it’s safe to eat. It’s almost like a pepper. Does anyone know what it is? I don’t know. Someone has to tell me. I’m in England,” she said.

When fans saw the video, many were alarmed, saying that the bush that Alicia picked the fruit from was a Solanum pseudocapsicum and that the fruit on it was known as “Jerusalem artichokes” or “winter cherries.” Every part of this plant is poisonous to humans, especially the fruit, which is known to cause vomiting, fever, sweating, stomach pain, headaches, and an increased heart rate.

Of course, after the bush was identified, many wondered if Alicia was actually suffering from the symptoms associated with the fruit, and they also wondered if she was still alive. It’s worth noting that this fruit is not often fatal, but even so, some fans were concerned.

Fortunately, Alicia shared an old photo on August 20 with the caption, “Alive and well! Don’t worry… I didn’t swallow.”

Alicia didn’t feel the need to justify her decision to eat any street fruit, but it seems she avoided the worst side effects associated with eating it. Still, many were baffled by her willingness to subject herself to a fruit she didn’t know just because she was curious about it.

Thankfully, no real damage was done and now many other people on England’s streets know that winter cherries are not tomatoes. When you think about it, Alicia’s video may have been a PSA of sorts, further worrying her many followers about whether she had survived.