Stone: My near-death experience

Actress Sharon Stone has revealed she suffered a near-death experience after tearing an artery in her neck.

The Basic Instinct star spoke yesterday of the 'white-light moment' when the injury almost killed her in October. The 44-year-old said: "I had a real close walk there. It's really nice to be alive."

"There that old-timey kind of gospel song called A Closer Walk With Thee. I think that's what the walk back brought me. It's been a very peaceful and lovely thing."

She said she had recently been given a clean bill of health, adding: "It was a very painful journey to have and it's been a long and arduous journey back."

Stone, a health fanatic who regularly works out, had complained of severe headaches and was given a brain scan. Surgeons found internal bleeding in her skull; a haemorrhage was diagnosed before it was found the bleeding had been caused by a damaged artery.

The actress, who is married to media executive Phil Bronstein and has a 22-month-old adopted son, Roan, underwent surgery and left hospital after ten days.

A previous injury from a horse-riding accident, combined with subsequent chiropractic treatment, are thought to have triggered Stone's artery damage.

Referring to last month's Oscars, where she caused a stir after presenting an award with John Travolta, Stone added: "A lot of people didn't know if I could walk or talk, let alone dance. So to let Emperor Travolta twirl me was perfect. It was a sweet, lovely way to come back."