Jennifer Simard opens up about private health struggle in emotional confession

Jennifer Simard is opening up about a private health battle that unfolded during her final months in Broadway’s Death Becomes Her.

The three-time Tony Award nominee, who recently returned to the stage in Schmigadoon!, reveals to PEOPLE exclusively that she underwent a hysterectomy and oophorectomy in July after suffering for years from uterine fibroids, a condition that eventually led to an emergency room visit.

“What most people don’t know is towards the end of the run I actually had to spend some time in the emergency room for some hemorrhaging,” Simard said.

The actress, who first starred opposite Megan Hilty in Death Becomes Her and later, Betsy Wolfe, says doctors initially believed she had eight fibroids. But the actual number turned out to be nearly twice that.

“It turns out I had 15,” she recalled.

Simard underwent surgery on July 6, having both her uterus and ovaries removed. Though she was able to finish her run in Death Becomes Her days earlier before it closed on June 28, she acknowledged that doing so was far from easy.

“I’m very proud that I got to finish the show, but it took a lot of strength,” she told.

And while Jennifer was dealing with her health privately, Simard says she became aware of criticism from theatergoers questioning her absences from the production.

“Sometimes I don’t read the chat boards. It’s not good for me,” she admitted. But word of the online chatter still reached her. “Someone on my team said, ‘Oh, someone’s being snarky about the fact that you were out or something.’”

Though she was proud of how many performances she managed to complete despite her condition, Jennifer Simard wishes those criticizing her absences had been more understanding, saying, “They didn’t know what I was suffering with — honestly, for years.”