Utilizing solely sticks and stones, our prehistoric ancestors have been battling monsters because the daybreak of humankind — and actress Sharon Stone, the as soon as (and future?) star of Primary Intuition, has been preventing off her personal monsters her complete life. Generally they’re executives and producers, and generally they’re extra-large lizards with a style for toes.
Right this moment: the unusual, true Hollywood fable of the time Sharon Stone’s then-husband tangled with a Komodo dragon on the Los Angeles Zoo — and lived to inform the story.
Our scene opens on Saturday, June 9, 2001. As an early Father’s Day shock, Sharon Stone organized a behind-the-scenes encounter with a Komodo dragon for her husband, Phil Bronstein, then the chief editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. This Hollywood It Couple was invited into the enclosure — a uncommon VIP second that sounds glamorous till you bear in mind we’re speaking about an apex predator that hunts wild boar and, properly, freaking water buffalo.
This was a really particular reward for Phil. He was fascinated by these animals. As Stone would later inform Time journal, they did it “because it’s the closest to a prehistoric creature that we can still see, and it gives us a sense of that kind of history, which is very intriguing.”
At first, it was a dream: a safari of untamed magnificence and prehistoric marvel. A day of straightforward household enjoyable and academic thrills. Then, turning a nook, Phil entered the dragon’s area. The zookeeper — mild-mannered, like a grandfather from a comfortable sitcom — assured them it was protected: “Everybody goes in, kids even pet him,” he stated. “Just remove those white sneakers so the dragon won’t mistake them for white rats — his favorite food.”
So, barefoot into the satan’s lair he went. What may go fallacious?
Contained in the enclosure, the dream got here to life. Phil Bronstein was face-to-face with a dinosaur. The person and the beast shared a short second, locking eyes — a connection that might virtually be referred to as non secular. However then, the seven-foot beast abruptly lunged and clamped onto Bronstein’s naked left foot, crushing his massive toe and severing tendons. His spouse, Sharon, watched from exterior the cage, panicking helplessly.
Her voice lower by means of: “Help — somebody, help!” The dragon bucked and pounded, attempting to tug her husband into the shadows. An unshakable, historical worry was unleashed. Chaos! Blood! Starvation! Insanity! It was a really dangerous day on the zoo. Poor Sharon — her knight in shining armor (on the time) had met his match. Nicely, his toe had.
However what about Mr. Phil? He was calm past motive. Channeling his inside Neanderthal, he pressed his shoeless heel down and pinned the creature by the neck. The dragon thrashed, twisting and ripping at his flesh. Tendons, joints — shredded. Blood spattered just like the zoo had hung up an all-red Jackson Pollock.
And watching, pressed towards the glass, was the viewers to this macabre present: wide-eyed youngsters. The poor children witnessed a sort of horror solely nature can produce. The dragon’s grip lasted mere seconds — however they had been sufficient to show a Father’s Day shock right into a full-on R-rated monster film, worthy of Paul Verhoeven himself.
The nightmare ended when that cute zookeeper grabbed the Komodo dragon by the neck and yelled, “Let Sharon Stone’s husband and editor of the San Francisco Chronicle go!” And, miraculously, the beast obeyed.
Bronstein was rushed to UCLA Medical Middle, the place surgeons reattached severed tendons and rebuilt his crushed massive toe. There have been whispers of venom, micro organism, and sheer luck. However the picture stayed burned in Sharon’s thoughts: prehistoric starvation, purple jaws, and the chilling realization that Hollywood monsters had nothing on the true factor. Her husband was launched just a few days later. The zoo reevaluated its backstage excursions — although rumor has it the “petting zoo of death” continued for some time after.
And very similar to the hungry reptile, the tabloids feasted. The story turned stranger-than-fiction gossip — Letterman joked, Leno laughed. However for Sharon, the echo remained: bloody tooth, torn flesh, chilly reptile breath, and the humbling terror of realizing you’re prey.
My favourite headline got here from The Guardian, which quoted Stone as saying, “A Komodo dragon ate my husband.” As soon as once more, Sharon Stone was the speak of the city. However this time, her co-star wasn’t that man from Jurassic Park — it was a real-life, vicious, venomous dinosaur.
In reality, Mr. Sharon Stone was fortunate. These big lizards can swallow enormous chunks of prey — they’ll take down a goat in a single gulp — thus making Komodo dragons the true G.O.A.T.s of goat swallowing.
Allow us to observe the attractive creature: the Komodo dragon. An historical intelligence behind these eyes. It is aware of no celeb, no display screen credit. It is aware of starvation and survival.
Now allow us to observe one other lovely creature: Sharon Stone. A traditional intelligence behind these eyes. All she is aware of is celeb. Her display screen credit score? Oscar nominee Sharon Stone. She is aware of glamour and survival. She’s been dodging cinematic predators since being tricked into crossing her legs — and crossing cultural traces. Whether or not it’s studio sharks or literal dragons, one lesson endures: Hollywood is a wild, harmful habitat.
Sharon and Phil would divorce just a few years later. He remarried, stays lively in journalism, has ties to Kamala Harris, and I’m fairly positive his toe made a full restoration. I do marvel if dragons nonetheless go to him in nightmares.
Ms. Stone has continued to work in movie — even giving us Primary Intuition 2 for some motive. In that very same “Year of the Dragon,” Sharon had a well being scare of her personal when she was hospitalized with a hemorrhage. She overcame that too. This gifted actress has endured her share of private struggles, Tinseltown trauma, and triumphs on display screen. However for a time, when anybody talked about the identify Sharon Stone… I’d assume first of the Komodo dragon incident. Then Halle Berry in The Flintstones. Then On line casino. However now? No one 2. Watch it at this time!
This story is equal components cautionary story and cosmic joke: entry has limits, sneakers are good, and whoever’s on the high of the meals chain writes the ultimate act. You ever see that documentary Grizzly Man? Simply bear in mind every thing Herzog stated about bears — and apply it to Komodo dragons. This isn’t some DreamWorks journey. These dragons are actual and had been by no means meant to be skilled.
In 2018, by way of her Twitter, Ms. Stone revealed she nonetheless suffers from lizard-phobia. The Hollywood starlet was understandably shaken when what she thought was a Komodo dragon was noticed roaming her Beverly Hills neighborhood. Had the creature returned to complete its snack? Some sort of twisted animal revenge — a real-life Jawssequel? No. It was simply Stephen, a monitor lizard belonging to her neighbor that had gotten unfastened. And sure, his identify was Stephen. Due to Stephen, the reptilian nightmare lives on for Sharon Stone.
Some say this specific animal assault performed out like an ideal Hollywood parable: a VIP go previous the velvet rope, an A-list cameo in a reptilian biopic, and a warning concerning the risks our ancestors tried to go down. However celeb usually blinds us to our mortality — and to the boundaries set by Mom Nature, God, or at the very least a zoo with higher security protocols. Then got here the final word Hollywood twist: nature doesn’t care about your IMDb. Komodo dragons don’t go to the films; they implement their very own launch dates — with venomous tooth.
A mighty monstrous lizard and the flesh of a celeb: an ideal match. In spite of everything, rumor has it that city is run by reptilian creatures. Thus, this true-life creature characteristic may solely be made deep within the wildest jungles of Hollywood — or “Hollyweird,” if individuals nonetheless say that.
However please — don’t blame this misunderstood monster, who’s nonetheless alive and properly on the L.A. Zoo. For Komo the Komodo is harmless on this so-called celeb assassination try. (Sure, its identify was Komo.) We, as people of Earth, should bear in mind: poor, harmless Komo was simply following his fundamental instincts.
BTW- in order for you more bizarre Hollywood tales, we’ve received you coated.
