Ghosts, spirits and magical beings are hard to come by in everyday life, so it’s easy to see why many people are sceptical about the supernatural. But not actor Jackie Cruz, who credits a “supernatural aura” for protecting her from a brush with death.
Speaking to Stylist, the Orange is the New Blackstar revealed she was in a car accident when she was 16 years old, resulting in her going “through the windshield”.
The incident meant Cruz had to undergo brain surgery. “I was in a coma for 72 hours,” she told the publication.
“I think survivors have a supernatural aura around them because they’ve gotten close to death and made it out.”
The 32-year-old actor went on to explain that she is fatalistic and believed her car accident happened because she was “going down the wrong path” at the time.
“My mental health was poor,” she continued, explaining how she had moved from the Dominican Republic to California, US to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer and actress.
Cruz explained that her mental and physical wellbeing took suffered after the accident.
“I couldn’t walk and my face was paralysed so I couldn’t smile,” she said.
But a chance meeting in hospital had a hugely positive impact on Cruz.
“I wanted to give up on life but then I met a little girl called Melly in the hospital," she said. "She saw strength in me when I didn’t. I dedicated my song Melly 16 to her."
Cruz continued: “The accident showed me you get what you put out. Maybe I’ll win an Oscar at 80, who knows? But I will win one.”
