Sharon Stone has been a Hollywood icon and public figure for decades, thanks to her long and successful career in TV and film. This includes her turn as Catherine Trammel in Basic Instinct, one of the most iconic ’90s movie roles. But as we’ve seen from other celebrities, fame and fortune don’t make them immune to life’s trials and tribulations. On Thursday night, during the Women’s Cancer Research Fund’s (WCRF) An Unforgettable Evening fundraiser, Sharon Stone was presented the Courage Award for her support of breast cancer research, and dedication to raising awareness for the cause. During her heartfelt speech, the Oscar-nominated actress spoke about losing half of her money in the recent banking collapse.
From the charity event stage, the actress paid respect to the night’s other honorees, spoke about her own breast cancer health scare and misdiagnosis, and explained how her own hairstylist had just begun chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, things became particularly emotional for the Casino actress when she broke down in tears as she passionately tried to rally the crowd to give more money to the evening’s cause. She said:
I know that thing that you have to get on and figure out how to text the money is difficult. I’m a technical idiot, but I can write a fucking check. And right now, that’s courage, too, because I know what’s happening. I just lost half my money to this banking thing, and that doesn’t mean that I’m not here.
The Quick and the Dead star did not elaborate on which “banking thing,” but many pointed to the fact it was most likely the recent Silicon Valley Bank collapse that the actress was referring to.
Sharon Stone continued to try and rally the crowd by sharing that she recently lost her brother, Patrick Stone, who died last month at age 57 due to heart disease, but that did not stop her from attending the event. The actress told the crowd, “it’s not an easy time for any of us,” before telling them what she believes true courage looks like. She continued:
My brother just died, and that doesn’t mean that I’m not here. This is not an easy time for any of us. This is a hard time in the world, but I’m telling you what, I’m not having some politician tell me what I can and cannot do. How I can and cannot live, and what the value of my life is and is not. So stand up. Stand up and say what you’re worth. I dare you. That’s what courage is.
It’s incredible to witness Sharon Stone’s commitment to worthy causes despite dealing with personal tragedy. Proceeds from the event support the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, a Breast Cancer Research Foundation program. WCRF was founded by Quinn Ezralow, Marion Laurie, Kelly Chapman Meyer, Jamie Tisch, and the late Anne Douglas and Renette Ezralow. You can see Stone’s tearful plea to the crowd in the video below.
Sharon Stone breaks down in tears asking guests to donate more money. She says writing a check for her requires courage since she “lost half my money to this banking thing,” presumably referring to Silicon Valley Bank collapse. “This is not an easy time for any of us.” pic.twitter.com/ZTSP5TQ2odMarch 17, 2023
Sharon Stone is no stranger to sharing emotional and personal details about herself. During the Covid pandemic, the Beautiful Joe star was open about how multiple family members had died of the virus. She took to social media to shed light on the state of the pandemic, specifically how COVID-19 had affected her family.
When she’s not using her name and clout for worthy causes, Sharon Stone stays busy in front of the camera. Her latest film to hit the 2023 new movie release schedule, What About Love, a romantic drama, saw a limited release on Valentines of this year, with a broader release to be still announced. But, If you’ve never seen her classic film Basic Instinct and are curious about what all the fuss was about back in the day, it can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.
