Clueless star Alicia Silverstone has reassured fans she is “alive and well” after speculation grew she had consumed a harmful plant during a visit to England.
The US actress had shared a video of herself on Instagram biting into what appeared to be a small orange fruit, which looked similar to a cherry tomato.
Silverstone did not identify the plant, but social media users began to speculate that the fruit was solanum pseudocapsicum, commonly known as the Jerusalem cherry, which is “harmful if eaten” according to the Royal Horticultural Society.
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“Alive and well! Don’t worry… I didn’t swallow,” the actress said on Instagram.
The 47-year-old had previously uploaded a video saying: “Okay, I’ve discovered something that I can’t figure out what it is, and I need your help.
“I just bit into it because I was on the street and we were discussing whether this was a tomato or not.
“It’s definitely not, because look at these leaves.”
She then showed the leaves before asking “what the heck is it?”.
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The actress then bit into the plant again and showed the inside with seeds, bigger than those you would see inside a tomato of its size.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to eat this, it’s almost like a pepper”, she said.
In the Horticultural Trades Association’s 2022 guide to potentially harmful plants, the Jerusalem cherry is listed as being harmful if eaten to both humans and pets.
Silverstone is most known for playing Cher in 1999 film Clueless and also appeared in Batman And Robin (1997) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004).
