Kirsten Dunst Opens Up About Son James’ Traumatic Health Scare: ‘Brought Us Together as a Family

Kirsten Dunst says there’s nothing scarier than imagining your child in danger thousands of miles from home.

The Spider-Man star, 43, opened up in a new Town & Country interview about a frightening health scare her youngest son, James, 4, experienced while the family was living abroad. Dunst was in Budapest filming Ruben Östlund’s latest movie, The Entertainment System Is Down, when the incident occurred.

Dunst’s husband, Jesse Plemons, 37, and their two sons, Ennis, 7, and James, joined her in January during filming. The family rented a house in Budapest, and Ennis was enrolled in a local school. But when James developed a serious health problem, the family returned to Los Angeles to be close to loved ones.

“The next few months alone in Budapest felt like the movie Final Destination, where you’re imagining all the things that could go wrong, worst-case scenarios happening to your child,” Dunst explained. “I have never seen that movie, but I know the concept. That’s how it feels to be a mother at times.”

Asked if her son’s health scare made her realize she’d found the right partner, Dunst said she had long known Plemons was “the one,” but added that the experience brought the family closer. “It brought us together as a family in a deeper way,” she said.

Looking forward, Dunst and Plemons are headed to the Bahamas next, honoring a promise to take their sons “anywhere James wanted to go.” The star shared what her youngest son requested: “I want to go to a beach where my sandcastle won’t wash away.”

Although Dunst and Plemons rarely share personal details about their children, the actress has spoken about them in past interviews. In April 2024, she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and shared that while her sons have seen her 2002 Spider-Man movie, they weren’t exactly fans.

“Jimmy doesn’t care. I think because I have red hair, but Jimmy just wants to watch the wrestling scene over and over again in Spider-Man 1,” Dunst explained of her younger son.

When Kimmel asked if she had shown the movie to her kids, she responded, “Yes, I have. The only one that cares…honestly Ennis is afraid of it. And Jimmy’s like psh psh psh,” she added, mimicking Spider-Man shooting webs. “All around the house.”