Clueless star Alicia Silverstone recently updated her fans on her health after seemingly eating toxic Jerusalem cherries. Silverstone had previously filmed herself munching on the fruit she randomly encountered while out, taking a stroll down an English street. As she bit into the fruit, the actor also filmed the bushes where they grew, leading many commenters to claim she was casually eating poisonous berries. Silverstone later reassured her followers that, despite the concern, she had survived the ordeal with no further drama.
Alicia Silverstone’s Impromptu Snack Time
Silverstone took her TikTok audience on quite a little adventure when she decided to eat an unidentified fruit she found growing on the street. The actor posted the stunt, asking her audience to help her figure out what she was putting into her mouth. As she bit the berries to show the cross-section of seeds and inner flesh, she said, “I don’t think you’re supposed to eat this.” Silverstone helpfully flipped the camera to capture the bushes, featuring several red and orange berries.
“What the heck is this!? I’m in England and can’t figure it out,” she captioned the video with a call to action which her followers quickly answered. Soon enough, the comments were rife with people worried she had ingested poisonous Jerusalem Cherries. The response – currently the video boasts nearly seven million views – elicited a followup through Silverstone’s Instagram. “Don’t worry… I didn’t swallow,” she said, putting the matter to rest somewhat.
Nevertheless, we can only speculate as to why Silverstone decided to taste unidentified fruit found literally on the side of the road. One hopes she was inspired to do a bit of social media trolling for a laugh. Maybe she was channeling Cher Horowitz, her career-making role in Clueless. Maybe she hoped the little faux cherry tomatoes would be free of pesticides if not free of toxins. She could be on the lookout for salad inspiration.
The Jerusalem Cherry
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It is not entirely Silverstone’s fault, to be fair. The Jerusalem Cherry looks like a nice little cherry tomato, a perfect portable snack to pop into your mouth as you take a scenic walk. Unfortunately, this is very much not the case.
The Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum) is also known colloquially as the Christmas Cherry, False Jerusalem Cherry, Madeira Cherry, Madeira Winter Cherry, Natal Cherry, and Winter Cherry. Plant classification can be tricky, but ignore the “cherry” misnomer – it is, in fact, a berry. And while it is a colorful addition to any garden, it can cause a variety of adverse effects if ingested. NC State Extension warns, “[It] is toxic to children, humans, cats, dogs, and horses. Gastrointestinal disturbances, seizures, respiratory depression, and shock may occur.”
MedlinePlus also cautions that the “unripened fruit and leaves” are particularly dangerous to consume. If Silverstone only touched and tasted the plant, she could consider herself lucky to have avoided an irritating allergic reaction.
Final Thoughts
Whether this was a fun hoax on the part of the actor, the fan response does appear genuine. While many were quick to poke fun at Cher Horowitz eating some fruit off the street, others still chose to warn her, to the best of their ability. The Bystander Effect did not come into play in the TikTok comments, and a community of a sort was fostered there. Again – if only to warn people about putting strange flora in their mouths.
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