Ashley Park and Boyfriend Paul Forman Share Update on Her Septic Shock Recovery: 'I've Been Gardening a Lot' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Paul Forman (left) and Ashley Park.Photo:Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

On Wednesday, Aug. 14, stars of the hit Netflix series — includingLily Collins, Park,Lucas Bravo,Lucien Laviscount, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Bruno Gouery, Forman and Samuel Arnold — attended the show’s Los Angeles premiere held at the Egyptian Theater the day before season 4’s debut.

At the premiere, Park, 33, told PEOPLE that she’s having a “recovery summer right now” and plans on enjoying a “demure fall” after being hospitalized for septic shock in January.

“I’m trying to get my health back and be back on my feet as I am right now,” she shared. “I’ve been gardening a lot.”

Ashley Park.VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty

VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty

In January, Park had a medical emergency while on vacation in the Maldives with Forman. A case of tonsillitis led to septic shock, a life-threatening medical condition that occurs when an infection in the body causes extremely low blood pressure and organ failure due to sepsis, according to theMayo Clinic.

Forman, 30, was with Park throughout her hospital stay and recovery. At the Aug. 14 premiere, he told PEOPLE he had a “good support system” around him while his girlfriend was in the hospital.

Paul Forman (left) and Ashley Park.Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

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Forman added, “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.”

“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.

Park continued, “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.”

Paul Forman kisses Ashley Park’s forehead.Ashley Park Instagram

Ashley Park Instagram

In the Fall 2024 issue ofCosmopolitan, Park opened up about finding out she had septic shock while on vacation.

“When I went to the ER and ICU for the first time, I was in the Maldives with Paul. I don’t think I would’ve made it without him. Everybody else was on the other side of the world from us,” she told the outlet. “Once I got there, I got really sick with tonsillitis. Then everything really started going wrong."

After stays in multiple ICUs and several air ambulance trips, Park was sent to Paris to recover near herEmily in Pariscastmates. Looking back on the experience, the star says she was pushing herself too much.

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“I pushed myself too far,” she said at the time. “I was not listening to my body. Now, I’m thinking about my future and asking, ‘Am I putting myself in a position where I’m going to be able to do my best?’ That starts with my health. I’m getting back to my old self."

Emily in Parisseason 4 will premiere on Netflix in two parts, with the first half airing on Aug. 15 and the second half coming on Sept. 12. Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix.

source: people.com