‘The Jeffersons’: Marla Gibbs, 94, Details Surviving Aneurysm & Nearly Fatal Stroke
What To Know
- Marla Gibbs, 94, details surviving a 2006 brain aneurysm and nearly fatal stroke in her new memoir, describing the immense physical and emotional challenges she faced during recovery.
- Despite her determination and independence, Gibbs struggled with depression and the humbling reality of needing assistance, ultimately learning that acceptance was essential to her healing process.
- Her memoir, “It’s Never Too Late,” will be released on February 24, while “The Jeffersons” continues to stream on platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, and Philo.
The Jeffersons star Marla Gibbs, 94, detailed surviving an aneurysm and a nearly fatal stroke in her new memoir.
On February 24, Gibbs — who memorably played the family’s sassy maid, Florence Johnston, in the CBS sitcom — will officially release her book It’s Never Too Late: A Memoir. In it, the actress details her 2006 brain aneurysm, followed by a stroke that almost killed her.
“Most people do not survive brain aneurysms, so I knew God still had plans for me,” Gibbs wrote in an excerpt from her memoir shared by People. “The more my strength and memory came back, the more trouble I got into. As I said before, I’m Gemini and my mind is always curious and always working … not always for the better.”
In the excerpt, the actress recalled how she did not want to use diapers while in rehab and was hellbent on going to the bathroom on her own.
“The bathroom was right next to my bed so I could not understand why I needed help to get there,” she explained. “Every time they would leave the room, I would sneak out of the bed and end up on the floor.”
Her family even asked that Gibbs be tied to the bed — but that didn’t stop her.
“I watched carefully as the nurses tied me up, so I could untie myself as soon as they left. And you guessed it … I’d be on the floor again,” she wrote. “I said to myself, ‘Marla we gotta stop ending up down here, we’re not getting anywhere.’ There was just something inside me that kept saying, ‘It ain’t over.’ But when I got home and looked at the old woman staring back at me in the mirror I said, ‘Maybe it is over.’ Maybe my days as an actress are gone.”
Gibbs confessed that recovery “took every ounce of physical, mental and spiritual strength” she could muster.
“I started questioning why it happened, especially when I still had so many plans for my life. I was getting ready to tour with my new jazz CD, but as they say, man makes plans and God laughs,” she shared. “This wasn’t funny though. I sank into a deep depression. I felt like maybe it was time for me to go. I didn’t want to get up. I didn’t want to do anything.”
Although her family hired a caretaker to help her at her home, Gibbs said it was still a “difficult time” for her, explaining, “It’s humbling when you can’t do anything for yourself. My mind told me I could walk, but I couldn’t without help.”
“As I progressed, they had me do a light jog across the room,” she wrote. “My friend, Chrystal Carmichael from Detroit, came to help. The first day she got here, we went walking, and then I wanted to show her I could jog, and I fell and hit my head.”
She added, “I complained to the rehab center, and the nurse said, ‘We didn’t tell you to jog at home!'”
To conclude the excerpt that People shared from Gibbs’ book, she wrote, “I finally accepted where I was at in my recovery. I had always been an independent woman who juggled multiple projects. Now, I was totally dependent and could do nothing. Acceptance of where I was in my recovery was essential to me healing, and I think acceptance is key to healing in life.”
The Jeffersons aired for 11 seasons from 1975 to 1985. More recently, Gibbs has appeared in TV guest roles in shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med, and Will Trent.
It’s Never Too Late will be released on February 24.
The Jeffersons, streaming on Pluto TV, Tubi, and Philo