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Health Shocker! Inside The Crisis That Nearly Ruined Julia Roberts’ Hollywood Career

The actress herself 'thought about dying.'

When she was just a teenager, Julia Roberts stole the hearts of Hollywood producers, actor and fans alike. Her fame rapidly rose after her first few appearances, and she quickly became a household name after her leading role in Pretty Woman. Yet not all was perfect in the young star’s life. Reelz’s newest episode, The Kitty Kelley Files: Julia Robert, tells all on the horrifying health scare that almost shattered the award-winning actress’ booming career.

“She just showed that she would go to any lengths to get that part,” New York Daily News reporter George Rush says of Roberts in the clip. “She would do that again and again.”

“Julia’s film Mystic Pizza does very very well,” says host Kitty Kelley. “She becomes a new star. She gets a lot of accolades, great critical acclaim, she gets a role on Miami Vice!”

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At one point, when her career started to truly take off, Roberts began to feel extremely tired.

After a while of voicing her ailments, her then-lover Liam Neeson told her she had to go see a doctor.

“Julia was diagnosed with spinal meningitis,” says Kelley. “She was hospitalized and for a while it was really touch-and-go. People around her honestly thought this might be the end, and Julia herself said she thought about dying. She didn’t wanna die, but she had come to an acceptance of it.”

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Thankfully, after much treatment, the actress got better.

Said Kelley: “She saw how fragile life could be and maybe was more willing to take chances, to risk things, to have no regrets, just to go forward.”

As The National ENQUIRER can report, Roberts went on to win 6 big-screen movie awards for her role in various Hollywood films.

The Kitty Kelley Files: Julia Roberts airs Saturday, August 12 at10 ET/PT.