She is suffering from pneumonia and up against some of Hollywood’s top leading ladies but it was Jennifer Lawrence’s dress that almost cost the actress her Screen Actors Guild Award on Sunday.

An excited Jennifer, 22, narrowly escaped being completely exposed as her dress came close to tearing in half as she headed on stage to collect her statue for Best Female Actor in a Leading Role.

In front of a glittering audience of stars, the beautiful 33 – year – old revealed a little too much of her body in a Christian Dior tiered dress.

Disaster struck as her name was read out to recognise her role in Silver Linings Playbook.

Shooting up from her chair and hugging people around her, the Hunger Games star failed to  notice someone had planted the leg of their chair on her navy Dior gown.

Keen to get on stage, the actress attempted to run off tearing her skirt of her dress at the point where the skirt meets the underskirt with sheer lining.

The sheer lining and skirt, which was fresh from the Paris Haute Couture runway, is hidden under the top tier of the gown.

As she headed to the stage, Jennifer further exposed herself as she hitched up the dress to negotiate the stairs revealing her thighs.

The cast members of Breaking Bad turned around shocked as the stricken star realised at their table she was in trouble.

Fellow actresses Nicole Kidman and Marion Cotillard certainly felt the young woman’s pain, and were caught on camera reacting to the dress’ tearing.

So shocked was the French actress that her eyes popped open.

Like a professional, Jennifer quickly pushed the ripped section of dress under the gown’s existing tuck and strode towards the stage.

Once there, the Winter’s Bone star once again narrowly missed showing off more than she planned to as the dress slipped apart.

Holding the frock together a breathless – either from her pneumonia or shock – Lawrence accepted her best actress award.

The 22-year-old thanked her co – stars, her family and mega producer Harvey Weinstein.

Poor Jennifer had thought her illness was going to be the hardest part of the night.

The 22-year-old was so ill that on the night before the SAGs she was forced to miss the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards on Saturday.

However, she managed to leave her sick bed and look amazing doing it for Sunday’s awards.

With red lips and her hair swept to one side the Hunger Games star shone in the now infamous navy Christian Dior Haute Couture dress, Chopard jewels – which included a 38-carat diamond necklace and emerald-cut 6-carat diamond studs and a diamond ring, Roger Vivier clutch, and Jimmy Choo shoes.

Jennifer happily joked about being sick and infectious telling Giuliana Rancic during E!’s live pre-show she had ‘walking pneumonia’.

‘Everyone is scared of me, I’m like, “I’m fine,”‘ she joked.

‘I had walking pneumonia, and it is highly contagious.’

Jennifer’s Silver Linings colleagues have been very worried about their star.

On Saturday when the 33 – year – old actress was not able to accept the best actress prize for her role in Silver Linings Playbook at the Australian film awards, co-star Jacki Weaver was left stepping to the podium in her place.

‘I’m going to receive this on her behalf,’ the actress said. ‘Poor Jen is really sick. She really is sick. She has pneumonia.’

The film’s producer, Bruce Cohen, told US Weekly the young starlet has been exhausting herself with so many red carpet appearances.

‘With all her appearances, she hasn’t gotten enough bed rest,’ he said.