Sharon Stone reveals she ‘lost half’ of her money to ‘this banking thing’ amid recent bank failures

Sharon Stone revealed in an impassioned speech at a recent cancer benefit that she was financially affected because of recent banking failures.

Stone was honored with the 2023 Courage Award at the Women’s Cancer Research Fund’s An Unforgettable Evening benefit on Thursday, March 16 for her "support of breast cancer research and dedication to raising awareness for the cause," according to a press release.

During her speech at the benefit, which was captured by Chris Gardner from The Hollywood Reporter and shared on Twitter, the longtime activist urged attendees to increase their donations, noting that a mere donation was a form of “courage” during this tough time.

“Because I know what’s happening. I just lost half my money to this banking thing, and that doesn’t mean that I’m not here,” she said, wiping a tear from her face.

While the 65-year-old did not share any further details about her financial loss, this news came less than one week after Silicon Valley Bank was shut down by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Friday, March 10, according to NBC News. SVB’s closure marked the biggest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis and the second-largest in U.S. history, following the collapse of Washington Mutual.

Stone was also candid about other personal struggles in her life, referencing some of the difficult experiences she had in recent months.

“My brother just died, and that doesn’t mean that I’m not here,” she said. “This is not an easy time for any of us."

The actor’s brother, Patrick Stone, died on Feb. 12 after suffering a heart attack. He was 57.

The “Basic Instinct” star confirmed his death in a video on Instagram and shared her gratitude to fans for their support during this devastating loss. She added, “Like any family, we thank you for your love and support in this time of immeasurable grief and we appreciate all of your condolences."

Stone continued, “Yes, we’ve had a tremendous amount of loss in these last couple of years, as so many of you also have,” referring to the death of her 11-month-old godson, River, who died from “total organ failure” in August 2021. "And we do greatly understand that the loss is ours here on Earth."

Prior to her emotional plea to attendees, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Stone also reflected on her own health challenges over the years in her speech, including a procedure where the actor had tumors removed from her breast.

“So don’t ever feel compelled not to get a mammogram, not to get a blood test, not to get surgery because it doesn’t matter,” she said. “I’m standing here telling you I had one-and-a-half and more tissue of my breasts removed and none of you knew it.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com