Frail Angelina Jolie Faces Health Risks From Chickenpox, Including Shingles, Warn Experts [Video]

Through the years, Angelina Jolie has become known for her slender physique. But although she joked about becoming ill with chickenpox, experts are warning that adults with this condition face serious health risks, reported the Today show.

For adults with chickenpox, complications can include toxic shock syndrome and pneumonia. And although those who experienced chickenpox prior to the development of a vaccine may recall it only as itchy, getting the disease when you’re older isn’t a subject for comedy, caution physicians. Stress, as Jolie experienced when directing Unbroken, can make adults more susceptible.

Extremely infectious, varicella-zoster virus results in sometimes painful spreading sores. Because chickenpox is a herpes virus, it will stay in Angelina Jolie’s body for the rest of her life, resulting in a high risk for shingles. The latter is both painful and difficult to treat.

Brad Pitt attended the premiere in Angelina’s place, reported Us Weekly. He took the oldest children Maddox, Pax, and Shiloh, dressed in matching black suits.

Preventing any rumors about why she was staying away from the release of her own movie, Angelina talked candidly in the video about her illness, released by the studio and shown below.

“I just wanted to be clear and honest about why I will be missing the ‘Unbroken’ events in the next few days, which is that I found out last night that I have chickenpox. So, I will be home itching and missing everyone, and I can’t believe it, because this film means so much to me. I just can’t believe it. But such is life, there it is. And send everyone my love, and hope everything goes well.”

As for her future prognosis, Unbroken star Miyavi had previously expressed concern about Angelina’s weight loss during the filming, reported the Daily Mail. But he praised her determination.

“It was surprising how much she trusted me, all of us, on the set. She was so determined. I was also surprised how skinny she got. You know, she was not eating much.”

Jolie hasn’t always been this frail. In Salt, for example, she worked with celebrity trainer Simon Crane to acquire muscle and strength for the stunts, reported Self magazine.

Crane praised Jolie’s determination then as she immersed herself in the fitness routines required for the role.

“For her fight training, we got her learning a combination of Muay Thai and Krav Magha very early on. We would then pick the moves she was best at and combine them into a sequence. The training, at the early stages, took up about three to four sessions a week, lasting approximately two hours each.”

Simon emphasized Angelina’s strength after training her for other roles.

“I have worked with Angie for several years and on several films. I know her strengths and how to capitalize on them,” he explained.

As the Inquisitr reported, Angelina isn’t the only celebrity who has chosen to do her own stunts. Scarlett Johansson also performs her own stunts.

“If you just hand over to the experts when the going gets tough, I don’t think you are fully embracing the part,” declared Scarlett.

[Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images]