'50 Shades of Gray' Star Jamie Dornan Hospitalized on Experiencing 'Heart Attack Symptoms' in Portugal

Famed actor Jamie Dornan recently found himself in a hospital bed after experiencing what appeared to be heart attack symptoms while on a trip to Portugal. Gordon Smart, a close friend and Good Morning Britain host, revealed the terrifying event on the BBC's The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected podcast.

The incident occurred during a guys' trip in which Dornan and Smart, together with their buddies, enjoyed golf and lively evenings filled with wine and espresso martinis. However, what began as a relaxing holiday became nightmarish, leaving both guys with alarming symptoms that landed them in the hospital, per Page Six.

Smart described the nightmare situation, initially attributing their discomfort to a night of binge drinking. However, as their symptoms worsened, they sought medical help, only to discover that toxic caterpillars were the source of their health concern. The pine processionary moth caterpillar is distinguished by its microscopic hairs, which carry an irritating protein that can cause severe skin, eye, and throat irritations.

Smart recounted his symptoms, including "tingling in his left hand and tickling in his left arm," which suggested the possibility of a heart attack. He underlined the bizarre feeling of convincing oneself that a heart attack was near, as well as how these symptoms led to a hospital visit. Once there, physicians discovered that his heart rate had soared to an alarming 210 beats per minute.

To his surprise, when Smart returned to the hotel, he saw Dornan receiving medical attention, detailing the actor's disclosure that his left arm, left leg, and right leg had gone numb, necessitating an ambulance ride. The surrealness of the scene was heightened when paramedics demanded a selfie as Dornan exited the hospital. "Anyway, as he left the hospital, the paramedics asked them for a selfie, which is really what you want when you’re being wheeled out of a hospital room," Smart revealed.

A week later, a call from the doctor revealed the source of their health scare: a brush with processionary caterpillars on the golf course. These caterpillars, which are known to wreak havoc on golf courses in southern Portugal, have been connected to heart attacks in men in their forties as well as the unfortunate deaths of canines in the region, as reported by The New York Post.

Smart expressed appreciation for emerging from the encounter with these lethal caterpillars alive. He said, "It turns out we’d brushed up against hairy processionary caterpillars and have been very lucky to come out of that one alive."

The microscopic hairs on these caterpillars are an irritating protein that can cause skin, eye, and throat irritations, rashes, and allergic responses. Reflecting on the incident, Smart said, "So there’s my story; the good news is it wasn’t a caffeine overdose, it wasn’t a hangover — it was a poisonous, toxic caterpillar."