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Rebel Wilson recalls major health scare: 'I could have died'

The Pitch Perfect star has a daughter called Royce


Rebel Wilson recalls major health scare: 'I could have died'© Matt Winkelmeyer
Bryony Gooch
US Writer
June 22, 2024
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Rebel Wilson is not a fan of bugs - and with good reason. The Bridesmaids star is no stranger to big insects, coming from Australia, but one brush with death while in Mozambique cemented her dislike of creepy crawlies.

"I have always had Bugs-xiety", she told UsWeekly, explaining that growing up in Australia meant there was always a lot of insects. But for her, a big turning point happened when she was 18.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: Rebel Wilson is seen leaving "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" on April 03, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images )© Raymond Hall
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: Rebel Wilson is seen leaving "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" on April 03, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images )

"I got malaria. I woke up one morning in an African bush and I had like 100 mosquito bites on my face", she explained, adding that she was hospitalized for two weeks as a result of the bites.

"I could have died from it, it was very, very bad", she said.

Rebel looked incredible as she beamed on the red carpet© Getty

She continued that she could remember "being in my mom's house, and they'd always have little flying gnats around the fruit bowl and I always hated it. I don’t want any little bugs crawling around at home, especially after having a baby."

Rebel, like any other mom, is protective of her little one Royce, born November 7, 2022. "Every time she says 'Mama,' I melt. But it’s just hard, and [I] just [have] massive respect to all the other mothers. Mine was a single mother with four children. Like, how did she do it?"

Rebel Wilson and her fiancee with their daughter© Instagram

But Rebel isn't alone, as her fiancée Ramona Agruma is by her side - and she apparently "a natural".

"I was like, 'Babe, you’re way better than me!'" Rebel said. "She cooks Royce healthy meals from scratch. She’s the one who’s been getting up lately in the middle of the night. She’s just a hero."

The couple have been engaged since February 2023 after going public in June 2022.

The actress, 44, isn't the only one who adamantly dislikes creepy crawlies, as singer Shania Twain opened up about her entomophobia following illness. The Canadian singer songwriter keeps a bug sweeper whenever she goes on tour despite loving nature because she was "bitten by a tick", which led to her having "Lyme's disease", which she described as a "very destructive disease".

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