Actress, Evangeline Lilly started the new year with “bad news” as she isn’t in the best of health. On January 2, 2026, she revealed suffering from brain damage and cognitive decline following a severe head injury she sustained in May 2025. She shared a concussion update video on Instagram after receiving results from specialised brain scans. Evangeline, who announced her retirement from acting in June 2024, stated that the injury forced her into a much-needed period of stillness and that she felt “extraordinarily grateful” to be alive despite the diagnosis. Here’s everything we know about her and her ailment.
Who Is Evangeline Lilly? All about her career
Evangeline Lilly is a Canadian actress and author, widely recognised for her leading roles in major films and television franchises. Her breakthrough came with the Lost (2004–2010) character, ‘Kate Austen’, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She is also known for her MCU role of ‘Hope van Dyne’ / ‘The Wasp’ in Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Avengers: Endgame, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The 46-year-old actress also appeared in The Hobbit Trilogy (2013–2014) and portrayed ‘Tauriel’ in The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies.