Jamie Dornan faced a health scare last year, which was initially feared to be a heart attack, TMZ reported Monday.
The incident unfolded during an outing in Portugal, as revealed by Scottish broadcaster Gordon Smart on the BBC’s “The Good, The Bad and The Unexpected,” according to TMZ. Dornan and several of his friends, including Smart, reportedly began feeling sick after a social gathering. It quickly escalated and led to the group needing urgent medical attention, according to the outlet. Smart recounted the experience and described the sensations of tingling in his hand and arm, which are known signs of a heart attack.
Medical professionals identified the source of their affliction as contact with pine processionary moth caterpillars, creatures notorious for their poisonous hairs. While the caterpillars pose a lethal threat to animals, their impact on humans is typically less severe, TMZ said.
Jamie Dornan hospitalized with heart attack symptoms thanks to toxic caterpillars: ‘Very lucky’ to be alive https://t.co/Vg477TdxcY pic.twitter.com/dV7fuFoaNU
— New York Post (@nypost) January 22, 2024
After the group of friends returned to their accommodation, Smart reportedly discovered Dornan had the same symptoms he was experiencing. The link between their conditions became evident and was traced back to a golf course the group had visited, known to be a habitat for these hazardous caterpillars, TMZ reported. (RELATED: Grammy Award-Winning Guitarist Al Di Meola Suffers Heart Attack During Performance: REPORT)
Both the “Fifty Shades of Grey” actor and Smart recovered from the incident. As of now, Dornan has not publicly commented on the incident, TMZ reported.