Busy Philipps, 47, Opens Up About Her Health Battle Calling It 'The Weirdest Six Months' of Her Life — and How James Van Der Beek Helped Her Through It

Busy Philipps thought she was just managing normal midlife changes, until a sudden medical discovery sent her straight into emergency surgery. What doctors found inside changed everything overnight. The "Cougar Town" alum, 47, is stepping into a new legal drama on CBS this fall, but before cameras rolled, she quietly went through one of the hardest stretches of her life. As she endured procedures and scary complications, an unbelievable string of coincidences kept her grounded. Unseen comfort from a cherished former costar kept her standing strong through the fight. Busy Philipps says two people she lost to cancer were somehow still watching over her, and she's now sharing exactly how they helped carry her through it. | Source: Getty Images Busy Philipps says two people she lost to cancer were somehow still watching over her, and she's now sharing exactly how they helped carry her through it. | Source: Getty Images A Scan She Almost Didn't Get Philipps had been curious about full-body MRI scans after seeing them on Instagram. When she brought it up to her primary care doctor in 2025, he told her there was no need — she was young, healthy, and her recent bloodwork looked fine. Refusing to drop the idea, she consulted her cousin's husband, Beverly Hills internist Dr. Justin Donlan, who felt differently. He told her, "Knowledge is power" when it comes to overall wellness, and the advice stuck with her. She scheduled the appointment in New York, but a blizzard forced her to push it from January to February 12. Busy Philipps at the premiere of "I Feel Pretty" in 2018 in Westwood, California. | Source: Getty Images Busy Philipps at the premiere of "I Feel Pretty" in 2018 in Westwood, California. | Source: Getty Images A Devastating Day Beforehand The timing turned out to be unbearably heavy and chaotic. Her close friend and former "Dawson's Creek" costar James Van Der Beek had died of colon cancer the day before her appointment. She was also due to meet with "Cupertino" creators Robert and Michelle King about a potential role the following day, and had a flight booked to Arizona to support her sister through a medical procedure of her own. Overwhelmed, she nearly canceled the appointment entirely. But she talking it over with her ex-husband, filmmaker Marc Silverstein, who pushed her to go anyway, as a way to honor her late friend. The Results No One Expected The scan results immediately raised severe red flags. In an exclusive interview detailing her health journey, Philipps called the ordeal "the weirdest six months of my life." Doctors discovered a lesion on her brain, which turned out to be a grade 2 oligodendroglioma. A neurologist who treats her daughter Birdie for epilepsy, Dr. Orrin Devinsky of NYU Langone, reviewed the follow-up scan and delivered the news directly: it was a real tumor, and it needed to come out. The same morning, Philipps learned she'd landed the "Cupertino" role. Before going public, Philipps had to tell her two daughters, Birdie, 18, and Cricket, 13. Birdie's reaction was, by Philipps' account, overwhelmed and frightened. Cricket, by contrast, took the news calmly and simply asked if her mom would be okay. Birdie Leigh Silverstein poses with her mother, Busy Philipps, at the premiere of the second season of "Single Drunk Female" on April 11, 2023. | Source: Getty Images Birdie Leigh Silverstein poses with her mother, Busy Philipps, at the premiere of the second season of "Single Drunk Female" on April 11, 2023. | Source: Getty Images Surgery, Weeks Before Filming Neurosurgeon Dr. John Golfinos scheduled the operation for March 2. Silverstein was by her side for the roughly five-hour procedure, during which surgeons removed and biopsied a 2.6-centimeter mass from her frontal lobe. The diagnosis: a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare, slow-growing but technically malignant tumor that affects only around 1,100 to 1,300 people in the US each year, according to her neuro-oncologist, Dr. Alexandra Miller. Golfinos noted that catching it before symptoms appeared — Philipps had none, not even seizures — likely meant it was two to three times smaller than it would have otherwise been. Philipps bounced back fast. She was walking the hospital halls within a day, prompting nurses to joke that patients like her worried them the most because they refused to slow down. She recovered at home with more than 40 surgical staples and support from friend and actress Michelle Williams, who arranged meals for her. Ever the humorist, Philipps even jokingly asked her neurosurgeon for a brow lift during the operation. He politely declined, but successfully removed the mass on March 2. | Source: Instagram/busyphilipps Ever the humorist, Philipps even jokingly asked her neurosurgeon for a brow lift during the operation. He politely declined, but successfully removed the mass on March 2. | Source: Instagram/busyphilipps Complications and Divine Protection Filming on "Cupertino" began in April, with Philipps cast as Natalia Boutella, a wealthy financial backer at the center of the show's Silicon Valley law firm. But mid-shoot, her recovery hit a scary bump during a routine dermatologist visit. Her doctor spotted something wrong with the incision site and urged her to send photos to her surgical team immediately. The diagnosis was a staph infection. Philipps needed a second operation on April 27 to clear it and remove one of the small titanium tacks placed in her skull during the first surgery. The unexpected setback left her feeling completely defeated while sitting in the waiting room. That was when a stranger nearby pulled out a magazine featuring Van Der Beek on the cover. The actor had publicly revealed his diagnosis back in 2024 before his family confirmed he passed away in February 2026. After his passing, Philipps had shared a heartbroken tribute honoring their long-standing friendship. Seeing his image right before her second operation offered her instant comfort. Golfinos said the infection was caught early, before it went deep — but for Philipps, the setback hit hard, leaving her feeling like she was starting over. Opening up about her recovery, Philipps shared, "I felt just honestly very divinely protected by James and Kate." She was referring to him and her late best friend Kate Cooper Serge. She had previously lost her best friend Kate Cooper Serge in August 2023 following a five-month illness. Feeling both spirits near helped her power through the second procedure. Busy Philipps had previously lost her best friend Kate Cooper Serge in August 2023 following a five-month illness. | Source: Instagram/busyphilipps Busy Philipps had previously lost her best friend Kate Cooper Serge in August 2023 following a five-month illness. | Source: Instagram/busyphilipps Looking Back and Ahead Philipps doesn't need chemotherapy or radiation, but she'll undergo regular scans to monitor for recurrence. Golfinos says the infection was caught early, before it went deep, and Philipps' odds of avoiding a recurrence are good.