Sharon Grasso Permanent Touch Cosmetics
May 29, 2018
The Awakening of Maria Menounos
June 20, 2018
Photo Credit: Tiffany Walling McGarity and John McGarity.
Maria Menounos is the former E! News co-anchor who underwent surgery to remove a golf ball-sized tumor in her brain. Known for being one of Hollywood’s leading entertainment TV correspondents, she is also the co-founder of Afterbuzz TV and the author of two New York Times best-selling books.
Maria currently hosts her own SiriusXM radio talk show Conversations with Maria Menounosand is focusing on advocating health and wellness and encouraging individuals to get regular medical checkups.
In her Social Life interview, being released today, Maria talks with Senior Editor Christine Montanti about her positive attitude towards her diagnosis, her husband’s support, her family’s reaction to her illness, her current projects and how to avoid the pitfalls of Hollywood. Here’s some:
On being diagnosed with brain tumors at the same time:
“My situation is compounded by the fact that my mom has a brain tumor of her own. She was diagnosed with brain cancer a few months before I received my diagnosis. While I was trying to get through this, I was taking care of her. My father is a diabetic, and I was also responsible for being in charge of all of his medical supplies, and it got to be too much.”
Looking at her diagnosis as a gift
“Every day I think that! I say thank you God every day for this tumor! I know it sounds really weird, but it changed everything by thinking positively. When I am coaching other brain tumor patients that are going to have surgery, I tell them what worked for me. I say, “I looked at this as a gift.”
On her estrangement from her brother
“My brother and I were estranged for a long time, and we got back together the day my mom was in the hospital, “I felt like it was happening for us, not to us.” I don’t know what would have brought us together other than that”
Advice
“Put your suit of armor on! I don’t know what happened to Avicii, but when his parents write that this business is just too hard, I understand the sentiment, and I know!”
“A lot of people live in bubbles and their lives are coddled and when they get out there and the shots are coming, they don’t know how to deflect.”
On Hollywood
“For all of the gifts and the amazing things that this business provides us, sometimes the leaders and players are a lot. I think you are always caught off guard when you have good intentions and they have such bad intentions. It’s painful, and I think this experience was a complete gift that has shifted everything! I don’t live out of fear! I do what I want . . . when I want . . . how I want . . . and the consequence to me at the end of the day? Whatever it is, I’m ok with!”
