Actor Busy Philipps has revealed she had a brain tumour removed, diagnosed shortly after her Dawson’s Creek co-star James Van Der Beek died from bowel cancer. The 47-year-old, known for roles in Freaks And Geeks and Girls5eva, told People she is “grateful” to be alive following what she described as the “weirdest six months of my life”.
Philipps did not present obvious symptoms like seizures and was initially reassured by a doctor that a scan was unnecessary. However, after consulting a second doctor months later, she proceeded with a whole-body MRI screening in February 2026. This led to the discovery of a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare, slow-growing tumour.
In March 2026, Philipps underwent a five-hour surgery, during which a 2.6cm mass was removed from her brain. She recounted telling friends over the past two years that her “brain feels broken” and had attributed certain behaviours to perimenopause, though her doctor could not confirm a link to the tumour.
Despite contracting a staphylococcus infection in her incision and needing debridement surgery after starting a new role, Philipps expressed gratitude that everything was caught early.