Ashley Park, known for her role in Netflix's hit series "Emily in Paris", is taking a "demure fall" to focus on her health after a harrowing experience with septic shock earlier this year. The actress, who celebrated the premiere of the show's fourth season in Los Angeles, shared with PEOPLE that she's currently enjoying a "recovery summer", prioritising her well-being following her hospitalisation in January.
"I'm trying to get my health back and be back on my feet as I am right now," Park, 33, explained. "I've been gardening a lot."
The actress's health scare occurred during a vacation in the Maldives with her boyfriend and "Emily in Paris" co-star, Paul Forman. A case of tonsillitis escalated into a life-threatening septic shock, a condition caused by an infection leading to extremely low blood pressure and potential organ failure, as defined by the Mayo Clinic.
Forman, 30, remained by Park's side throughout her hospitalisation and recovery. He described having a "good support system" during this difficult period.
"Obviously, I don't want to speak too much about it in the sense that I feel that it's her story to tell and the details to be shared by her," he said. "But I had very good support from my end by the doctors over there and by doctors back in London who really helped me with decision-making and all the medical repatriation and all that had to happen."
Forman continued, "I had support from my side, from my family, and it just helped me keep level-headed and calm and cool. So yeah, I had my own support group and her. I was thinking of her the whole time."
Park, who is embracing gardening as a new hobby, has been focused on rest and recuperation as she continues to heal.
"I haven't been able to be home and really rest for a while, so I got to spend some time with my mom and with my family, and yeah, gardening has been the best," she shared. "I'm on garden TikTok all the time. I have a lot of vegetables growing. I don't know if I've done them right, so we'll see."
In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, Park reflected on the terrifying experience, sharing that she realised she had been pushing herself too hard.
âI pushed myself too far,â she said. âI was not listening to my body. Now, Iâm thinking about my future and asking, âAm I putting myself in a position where Iâm going to be able to do my best?â That starts with my health. Iâm getting back to my old self."
The first half of "Emily in Paris" season 4 is now streaming on Netflix, with the second half slated for release on 12 September. As Park focuses on her recovery, fans eagerly await her return to the Parisian streets and the beloved character of Mindy Chen.
