Elizabeth Taylor Released From Hospital

Actress Elizabeth Taylor was released from St. John’s Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica on Thursday night with her doctor’s blessings to continue her recovery from a near-fatal bout of pneumonia at her Beverly Hills home, a spokeswoman said.

The 58-year-old stage and film star was hospitalized April 9 for a sinus infection, but tests showed she was suffering from viral pneumonia.

The actress waved to a throng of reporters and photographers as she left the hospital in a red car shortly before 8 p.m.

“I am finally glad to be going home,” Taylor said in a statement. “My sole concern at this time is focused on my getting well and carrying on with my life. I have learned how precious life is, how much I love it and yearn to live more of it.”

She expressed her gratitude to “everyone who has supported me through this difficult period.”