Dixie D’Amelio Opens Up About Her Emotional Journey with PNES: From Fear to Empowerment

Dixie D’Amelio “felt scared” while experiencing her first seizure since 2017.

While driving to a film location, I noticed a heavy sensation in my chest. It felt as though there was an issue with my body," Dixie, aged 21, revealed in the season 3 finale of The D'Amelio Show, which aired on Wednesday, October 18. "I had the impression that my body was malfunctioning."

Dixie further elaborated on her high school experience, mentioning her diagnosis of Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES), which are essentially physical manifestations of anxiety.

PNES attacks, as stated by the Epilepsy Foundation, resemble epileptic seizures but are not triggered by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain. Instead, they are a manifestation of psychological distress.

Following Dixie's seizure, Greg Goodfried, president of D'Amelio Family, LLC, could be observed conversing with Marc D'Amelio, her father, over the phone.

“We were down the street, preparing to film a scene with Dixie when suddenly she had a seizure or something. She collapsed to the ground,” Greg explained. “She appeared completely detached from reality, unable to speak. In response, Hulu promptly dialed for an ambulance.”

Image Credit: Patrick Wymore/Hulu

Dixie, on the other hand, was in tears and expressing her apologies to her parents while the paramedics inquired about her condition. Her seizure occurred hours prior to the family's planned celebration for the launch of D'Amelio Footwear.

"I just received a call informing me that Dixie had a seizure just down the street from our office... It's absolutely heart-wrenching and terrifying," Marc, 54, recounted during his confession. "This isn't the first time she has experienced a seizure, but I don't believe any parent could ever become accustomed to receiving that phone call. I've witnessed it, and it's frightening, so my mind automatically goes to the worst possible outcome."

Marc further clarified that, due to their previous experiences, the family is aware that Dixie's scare was triggered by her PNES and can immediately eliminate epilepsy as a possible cause. Nevertheless, upon Dixie's arrival at the hospital, medical professionals insisted on conducting tests to rule out epilepsy. Following the tests, Dixie expressed her desire to be discharged.

Despite not being physically present during the medical emergency, Charli D'Amelio remained well-informed through regular updates and had previously conversed with her sister earlier that day.

"When she brought me here, she said, 'I'm not feeling well, can you please get me a Red Bull?'" Charli, who is 19, recalled. She mentioned that her sister was driving and had to pull over before they called an ambulance. In another part of the episode, Dixie explained that her seizure was a result of "not getting enough sleep, being dehydrated, and having consumed caffeine - it was a combination of factors."

While Charli was having her makeup done for the family party, she noticed that Dixie had been posting updates on Snapchat from the hospital.

"She doesn't care," Charli commented about her sister, expressing her concern by adding, "It's quite unsettling."

In the end, the complete family managed to attend the D'Amelio Footwear launch party, despite Marc and Heidi D'Amelio's reservations regarding their daughter's well-being.

Dixie emphasized the significance of this shoe launch, stating that it has been a major focus for the past six months. She expressed that missing this party is out of the question, regardless of any challenges she may be facing.

Catch all episodes of The D'Amelio Show season 3 on Hulu for streaming.