FANS are fearing for American actress Alicia Silverstone after she filmed herself inadvertently eating poisonous berries from a garden plant.
The Clueless star is currently in the UK and took to social media yesterday to ask for help identifying the berries, which she had seemingly plucked from the plant of a random garden she passed.
The 47-year-old filmed herself biting into one of the berries whilst cheerfully admitting she probably wasn’t supposed to be eating them.
However, floods of comments from panicked viewers quickly identified the fruit as Jerusalem cherries which are poisonous, prompting fans to beg for an update, with Silverstone not posting anything online since the clip.
The video sees Silverstone standing outside a building as she says: “I’ve discovered something that I can’t figure out what it is, and I need your help.”
She holds up one of the orange berries, with a bite taken out of it.
She says: “I just bit into it, because I was on the street and we were discussing whether this was a tomato or not.
Suddenly dropping it, she laughs and turns her camera to the bush she has picked it from, which appears to be on the other side of railings, in somebody’s garden.
It is filled with the small round berries, which do resemble tomatoes, in various stages of ripeness.
She says: “It’s definitely not, because look at these leaves. Those are the leaves, so what the heck is this?
“Because, when I open it up it looks like that.”
A squashed berry on the ground can be seen before she films herself biting into another.
She says: “And if I bite it… I don’t think you’re supposed to eat this. But it’s almost like a pepper.
“Does anyone know what this is? I don’t know what it is, I need someone to tell me, I’m in England.”
Silverstone shared her video to social media yesterday with the caption: “What the heck is this? I’m in England and I can’t figure it out.”
It has since received over 25,000 likes and more than 4,100 comments from Brits both concerned and tickled by her slip-up.
One commented: “This was four hours ago. Let us know you’re okay.”
A second said: “Why would anyone eat random, unknown things from the street?”
Another wrote: “That was a Jerusalem cherry and that was Alicia.”
A fourth said: “Imagine looking into your front yard and seeing Alicia Silverstone munching your garden.”
Another quipped: “Good lord, still clueless.”
Another added: “Woman, update us. Are you alive and well?”
The Jerusalem cherry – or solanum pseudocapsicum – is a member of the nightshade genus of flowering plants, bearing poisonous fruit.
Thankfully, whilst Jerusalem cherries are poisonous, they are generally not life-threatening to humans.
However, the toxin can still cause fever, vomiting, stomach pain and increased heart rate so whilst perhaps not deadly, Silverstone is likely in for an unpleasant experience if the berries are indeed the real deal.
