The actress compared being separated from her husband Jesse Plemons and their kids after James’ health scare to “‘Final Destination,’ where you’re imagining all the things that could go wrong, worst-case scenarios happening to your child.”
Kirsten Dunst is opening up about how her son James suffered a health scare while she was filming the movie, The Entertainment System Is Down.
In an interview with Town & Country magazine for its September 2025 cover story, the actress — who shares James, 4, and Ennis, 7, with husband Jesse Plemons — recalled how her family joined her in January in Budapest, where she was shooting the Ruben Ostlund dark comedy. Dunst, 43, said Plemons and their sons were initially going to stay with her throughout the film’s production, with the couple enrolling Ennis in school and renting a house in the city.
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However, their plans went awry after James had a serious health scare, according to Dunst. While the mom of two didn’t reveal details regarding her younger son’s emergency, she said the situation was so scary at the time that Plemons and their kids returned to Los Angeles to be with their extended family, leaving Dunst alone for months in Budapest — aside from her one trip home in April.
While speaking with Town & Country, the Spider-Man star compared being away from her family to the horror movie franchise, Final Destination.
“Final Destination, where you’re imagining all the things that could go wrong, worst-case scenarios happening to your child,” Dunst said.
“I have never seen that movie,” she continued, before adding, “But I know the concept. That’s how it feels to be a mother at times.”
The Oscar nominee — who noted that James has since recovered — went on to be asked if James’ health scare solidified her choice in partner in Plemons, 37, to which Dunst said this was already confirmed for her in the past.
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“It brought us together as a family in such a deeper way,” Dunst said.
The Bring It On star — who has been married to Plemons since 2022 — also shared with the magazine that at the time of the interview, she and her family were about to leave for a trip to the Bahamas, noting that she promised her sons she would take them “anywhere James wanted to go.”
As for the boy’s vacation request? “I want to go to a beach where my sandcastle won’t wash away,” he said, according to Dunst.
Dunst will next be seen in the crime comedy-drama, Roofman, alongside Channing Tatum, Peter Dinklage, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, and more. Roofman hits theaters on October 10.
