Alicia Silverstone alarms fans by appearing to eat poisonous fruit in TikTok video

Fans showed concern for Alicia Silverstone after she posted a video on TikTok in which she appeared to pick a poisonous fruit off a plant and eat it — but the “Clueless” star later confirmed she was fine and said she “didn’t swallow.” Silverstone happened upon the fruit — which looks similar to an orange cherry tomato — in England, according to the video posted Monday. “OK, I’ve discovered something that I can’t figure out what it is, and I need your help,” Silverstone says in the video, addressing fans. Silverstone, who is vegan, says she doesn’t believe it’s a tomato because of how its leaves look. Because when you open it up, it looks like that,” she says, showing a squashed fruit on the ground. “And if I bite it — I don’t think you’re supposed to eat this, but it’s almost like a pepper? Fans were quick to identify the fruit as a Jerusalem cherry, which is indigenous to South America and is poisonous, according to GardeningKnowHow.com. “Despite their cheery colors, the fruit of the Jerusalem cherry houseplant is toxic and should be kept out of the reach of curious children and pets,” the website warns. Ingesting the Jerusalem cherry can affect the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, potentially leading to stomach pain, fever, diarrhea, paralysis, slowed breathing and delirium, among other things, according to MedlinePlus.gov. “Can someone tag me when we know she’s OK,” a commenter wrote. On Tuesday, Silverstone took to social media to assure fans she was okay. Don’t worry… I didn’t swallow,” she wrote. Silverstone, best known for her work in the 1995 hit comedy “Clueless,” released a vegan cookbook in 2009 called “The Kind Diet,” in which she encourages readers to adopt plant-based eating habits. She wrote on her website, TheKindLife.com: “By eating this way, you will become stronger. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/alicia-silverstone-alarms-fans-eating-poisonous-fruit-tiktok-video-rcna167344