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Jason Momoa speaks out about Emilia Clarke's life-threatening brain aneurysms: 'We've had so many scares'

Former "Game of Thrones" actor Jason Momoa spoke about co-star Emilia Clarke's life-threatening brain aneurysms during an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" at the season eight premiere of the show in New York City on Wednesday.

jason momoa emilia clarke

Jason Momoa opened up about "Game of Thrones" co-star Emilia Clarke's life-threatening brain aneurysms.

"I've kind of been a part of that whole situation for a very long time, so we've had so many scares and trying to find the right way to come out and help," Momoa, who played Clarke's on-screen husband, Khal Drogo, on the hit HBO drama, told "Entertainment Tonight" at the season eight premiere on Wednesday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. "She's so brave in helping the world and trying to raise awareness."

He continued: "I'm very sad, because we almost lost her numerous times. I love her to bits and she's here and she's going to do great things with it and teach the world."

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In March, Clarke, who's known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen, revealed her survival of two aneurysms in a personal essay in The New Yorker titled "A Battle for My Life."

The 32-year-old actress explained that she experienced her first aneurysm after filming "Game of Thrones" in 2011. She recalled feeling a "shooting, stabbing, constricting pain" in her brain while working out with her trainer and collapsing in the gym bathroom. After getting an MRI, Clarke was diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which she described as "a life-threatening type of stroke, caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain."

She also found out that approximately "one-third of SAH patients die immediately or soon thereafter."

At 24 years old, Clarke underwent her first brain surgery, which was referred to as "minimally invasive" and didn't require opening her skull. The actress explained that she also suffered from aphasia and could only recite "nonsense words." She couldn't even recall her full name.

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Clarke said that she felt "lost" as an actor because of her language impairment and "in my worst moments, I wanted to pull the plug.I asked the medical staff to let me die."

After the aphasia passed, she returned to the set of "Game of Thrones," but was warned that she had a second, smaller aneurysm in her brain. Clarke admitted that filming season two of the show was difficult and admittedly her worst. She also explained that she kept the news out of the media because she didn't want it to become a focal point.

"Even before we began filming season two, I was deeply unsure of myself," she said. "I was often so woozy, so weak, that I thought I was going to die."

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Then in 2013, Clarke's aneurysm doubled in size and required surgery as soon as possible. The procedure was unsuccessful and the doctors "needed to access my brain in the old-fashioned way through my skull."

After the second aneurysm was fixed, parts of her skull were replaced by titanium and she spent a month in the hospital. Then she returned to work after recovering.

Clarke's near-death experiences led her to found a charity called Same You , whose purpose is to increase "primary research with the Stroke Association UK to understand the recovery needs" of people who experience brain injuries and strokes.

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