Busy Philipps diagnosed with rare malignant brain tumor

Busy Philipps revealed she was diagnosed with a rare malignant brain tumor and underwent two brain surgeries during the “weirdest six months of [her] life.”

The “Dawson’s Creek” alum said in her People cover story, published Wednesday, that she is “grateful to be alive.”

The actress’ grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a rare slow-growing tumor, was discovered during a Prenuvo scan on Feb. 12 — the day after her former co-star James Van Der Beek died of cancer.

Philipps, notably, had been talked out of getting the full-body MRI in 2025 by her primary care doctor but scheduled it anyway following a conversation with her cousin-in-law Dr. Justin Donlan.

The internist told the 47-year-old “knowledge is power,” which “really resonated with” her.

The January appointment, however, was pushed to February — and Philipps considered canceling before her ex-husband, Marc Silverstein, convinced her otherwise.

The “Freaks and Geeks” alum immediately texted Silverstein when a lesion was found on her brain.

She recalled, “The texts to my ex-husband are comical. While I was on the phone with Dr. Donlan, I texted Marc, ‘OMG I have a brain tumor.’ And he wrote back, ‘Busy, what? What are you saying? What are you talking about?’ I was like, ‘It looks fine. It’s probably benign. I don’t know.’”

She underwent another MRI, with a neurologist subsequently telling her, “This is a real tumor, and it’s inside your brain. And Busy, it’s got to come out.”

The confirmation left Philipps “hyperventilating and trying to breathe” — and feeling she had no choice but to tell her two children: Birdie, 18, and Cricket, 13.