Busy Philipps Shares The Emotional Promise She Made To Her Teenage Daughter After Brain Tumor Diagnosis

Like so many of us, Dawson's Creek actor Busy Philipps nearly let her overbooked life relegate her health to the back burner.

After her co-star and friend James Van Der Beek died due to complications with his illness, Philipps found herself struggling to find work, which she needed in order to keep her family in New York City.

Fortunately, she lined up an audition with Cupertino, a television show she was desperate to be a part of. Almost unfortunately, she realized that a whole-body scan she'd scheduled after Van Der Beek's death was set for the day before the audition, so she considered skipping it to free up her week.

Her ex-husband, Marc Silverstein, who she's called an excellent co-parent and good friend, pointed out to her that getting the scan was a great way to honor her friend's memory, so she kept it on her schedule.

When she went for the scan, the doctors discovered she had a tumor in her brain that would need to be removed before she could return to work. She scheduled it to leave her time to heal before starting to film Cupertino that she'd been cast for.

While appearing on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, Philipps reflected on how having the surgery deepened her relationship with her oldest daughter, Birdie, after she made her a special promise.

"My older daughter just turned 18 over the summer. She graduated from high school."

"So this was all happening in February, and my surgery was March 2. She actually was in boarding school, and she was home on a break when we found out and when I had the surgery, and she stayed an extra week.”

“She’s in this moment in her life where her life is just starting, and I think all of a sudden being hit with the reality that something could be really, terribly wrong with her mom may be the scariest thing for any kid to confront."

"I just kept saying to her, ‘You’re not in the movie where your mom dies the senior year of high school. I just promise you.'"

"'You’re in the movie where your mom has a brain tumor and then is on a TV show.'"

"Her reaction when I told her was like, ‘Okay. You’re going to be fine?’"

"And I was like, ‘I’m totally going to be fine.’"

"And she’s like, ‘Okay.’"

You can watch the segment here:

Fans were grateful for Philipps sharing her story and her promise.

@jennasheinelle/Instagram

@jennasheinelle/Instagram

@jennasheinelle/Instagram

@jennasheinelle/Instagram

@jennasheinelle/Instagram

@jennasheinelle/Instagram

@jennasheinelle/Instagram

You can watch the full interview here:

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Breaking this news to loved ones would be hard for anyone, but it's especially difficult for parents to share it with kids. But Philipps handled it beautifully and the experience ultimately deepened their relationship.