Alicia Silverstone has put people's minds at ease by confirming she is fine after she took a bite out of a poisonous fruit during a trip to England.
On August 19, the Clueless actor uploaded a video to social media, saying: "OK, I've discovered something that I can't figure out what it is and I need your help." She then added that she had found a fruit "on the sidewalk" that she and her companions thought might be "a tomato," which she was skeptical about because of the leaves on the bush it came from.
Silverstone then took a bite before musing: "I don't think you're supposed to eat this, but it tastes like a pepper." Fans were quick to affirm that Alicia was right in her assumption, with many identifying the fruit as Solanum pseudocapsicum, commonly known as the Jerusalem cherry, which is mildly poisonous and harmful if eaten. At the time of writing, the video on TikTok has more than 3.1 million views and it has over 1.1 million plays on Instagram.
People online expressed their concern when they didn't hear an update from the actor, with many assuming the worst. Thankfully, Silverstone has since shared a post on her Instagram account.
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Silverstone for comment on Wednesday outside of normal business hours.
"Alive and well! Don't worry... I didn't swallow," she wrote alongside a photo of her younger self.
People were quick to comment on the post, with many expressing their relief.
"Captain of the Pismo Beach Disaster Relief is marked SAFE!" one user joked, referring to a line from Clueless.
"WHEW!!! I was stressin'!!! Glad you're alive and well!" posted another.
"Awww I was worried a bit there," someone else wrote.
A fourth added: "For someone so careful about what she eats you broke rule number one, which is NEVER EAT SOMETHING GROWING THAT YOU DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS!!"
According to the Horticultural Trades Association's 2022 guide to potentially harmful plants, the Jerusalem cherry is harmful if eaten by humans and pets and should be handled with care.
When Silverstone shared her original video of eating the fruit, it went viral on both TikTok and Instagram but also on X (formerly known as Twitter), when a journalist shared the clip.
"This tiktok of a confused alicia silverstone eating a fruit off a bush from someone's front yard in london blissfully unaware that it's actually a very poisonous form of deadly nightshade has absolutely killed me. she's not posted since either rip [rest in peace] girl you were great in clueless," they wrote in their caption of the video.
At the time of writing, it had been viewed more than 11.1 million times.
Silverstone made her film debut in the thriller The Crush, which earned her the 1994 MTV Movie Award for best breakthrough performance. After starring in the music videos for the Aerosmith songs "Amazing," "Cryin'," and "Crazy," she solidified her status as a teen idol.
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