Written by Megan Riedlinger
February 29, 2024 6:00 PM PST
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Let's take a look at some of the stars who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease.
Comedian Richard Lewis has announced that he is retiring from stand-up after facing a series of health problems, including a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. video Shared on Twitter in April 2023. He explained that three and a half years ago he underwent four consecutive surgeries on his back, shoulders and hips, followed by physical therapy until he recovered. ”[Then] Two years ago, I started walking a little stiffly and limping, so I went to the neurologist and had a brain scan. “…I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease,” the “Curb Your Ethusiasm” star explained. “But luckily, I got Parkinson's disease late in life, so I'm told it progresses very slowly, if at all, and I'm on the right medication, so I “That's cool,” he added.
Richard further stated that he had decided to withdraw from certain areas of his career. “I'm done with stand-up. I'm just going to focus on writing and acting.” 1712867255″I have Parkinson's disease but am being treated by doctors and all is well. I love my wife, I love my little puppy, and I love all of my friends and fans. Masu.”
Sadly, less than a year after announcing his diagnosis, Richard passed away from a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles on February 27, 2024, his publicist announced. The comedy star was 76 years old.
To know more about celebrities with Parkinson's disease, keep reading…
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Helen Morris, a former book editor at Random House who has been married to film director Martin Scorsese since 1999, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1990. The couple and their daughter Francesa (pictured with her parents in June 2023) have been supporting Michael J. Morris. The Fox Foundation for decades of Parkinson's disease research. In June 2023, Martin honored Michael and his advocacy at the Motion Picture Museum's Spring Film Awards, saying the actor “has become a true guiding light for many people living with Parkinson's disease, including my wife Helen. That includes Michael,” he told the audience. Your support meant a lot to her and to me. ”
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Michael J. Fox — one of the most famous activists seeking a cure for Parkinson's disease — has been incredibly open about his struggle with the disease. He was diagnosed in 1991 at the age of 29, but did not make the news public until 1998. Michael J. Fox then founded the Parkinson's Disease Research Foundation. (In 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, an Oscar honor, for his tireless efforts on behalf of people with this disease.) For decades, Michael However, in 2020, Michael continued to work as an actor. The star of the “Family Ties” and “Back to the Future” series will retire from showbiz in 2021, explaining to AARP The Magazine: I stopped doing it last year because he wasn't comfortable doing it at all anymore. ”
In an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning” to celebrate the May 2023 release of the Apple TV+ documentary about his life, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” the star got incredibly candid. “I'm not going to lie. It's getting harder and harder. It's getting harder and harder every day,” he said of living with Parkinson's disease. “But it is what it is. I mean, who's going to see that?” Michael, who was 61 at the time, also spoke about the reality of the disease, saying that falls are “a major cause of death for people with Parkinson's disease. And then you get pneumonia — all these subtle pathways that hit you.” , “You don't die from Parkinson's disease, you die from Parkinson's disease. So I've been thinking about the mortality rate of Parkinson's disease. I'm not going to be 80 years old. I'm not going to be 80 years old.”
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In 2020, rock star Ozzy Osbourne announced that he has Parkinson's disease. He then revealed that years earlier, in 2003, he had been diagnosed with a neurological disorder that affected his ability to move, which he had kept a secret from his fans. Ozzy has since stopped touring due to a number of medical issues, but continues to perform and make music. “I'm not going to die of Parkinson's disease,” Ozzy told the Los Angeles Times. “I've been working on this most of my life. I've cheated death so many times. If I read tomorrow, 'Ozzy Osbourne never woke up this morning,' I'd be like, 'Oh my God!' You'll think, “Oh, I finally caught up with him.'' ”
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Alan Alda, known for his work on “MASH,” revealed in 2018 that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. “I decided to let people know that I have Parkinson's disease to inspire others to take action,” he shared on Twitter. Although I was diagnosed three and a half years ago, my life is full. I act, give talks, and have a podcast that I love. Once you have a diagnosis, keep moving! '' Alan continued to enjoy his favorite activities, explaining, “I take boxing lessons three days a week, play singles tennis twice a week, and take light medication, all of which are prescribed by my doctor.'' It was recommended to me,” he wrote. . I also do a little juggling. And I don't have dementia. I don't have dementia as much as I used to. Maybe I should rephrase that. I'm really fine. ”
Read more: Famous people with Alzheimer's disease or dementia
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Music legend Neil Diamond retired from touring in 2018 and revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He wrote on his website: “It is with great reluctance and regret that I announce my retirement from concert touring. It has been my great honor to present my shows to the public for the past 50 years.” issued a statement. Despite ending his concert career, he promised to continue making music. Since then, he has been honored with several awards, including his performance at the 2020 Keep Memory Alive Power of Love Gala and the time he sang “Sweet Caroline” in the bottom of the 8th inning of a 2022 Red Sox baseball game. He is showing off a rare performance.
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Billy Connolly, the Scottish actor who has appeared in films ranging from The Boondock Saints to Lemony Snicket, announced in 2013 that he was battling early symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The news came at the same time he underwent surgery for Parkinson's disease. He retired from acting in 2018 after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer. Two years later, he appeared in an ITV documentary about his life, Billy Connolly: It Was a Joy, in which he opened up about his own struggles with health, explaining: It captures me, it captures me, and it finishes me, but that's okay with me, I'm not defined by it. ”
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Politician and minister Jesse Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017 and revealed that he had been battling the disease for about three years at that point.
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Pope John Paul II (now a saint) suffered from Parkinson's disease in his later years. The Vatican officially acknowledged this in 2003, two years before the Pope's death, but a book written by Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, who served as the Pope's personal physician for more than 25 years, reveals that Catholic leaders actually confirmed this in 1991. The Vatican kept the religious leader's illness a secret for 12 years after it was revealed that he had been diagnosed.
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Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali announced his Parkinson's disease diagnosis in 1984, three years after retiring from competition. He did not let this reduce his public appearances and remained an active public figure until several years before his death in 2016.
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British actor Bob Hoskins retired from acting in 2012 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. His representative confirmed the health report, saying in a statement: “Bob Hoskins would like to announce his retirement from acting following his diagnosis with Parkinson's disease last fall. I would like to thank all the great and talented people who have worked with me.” All the fans who supported him over the years and during his amazing career. ” Bob passed away in 2014.
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Maurice White, founder, leader, and main songwriter of Earth, Wind & Fire, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1992 at the age of 51. He was forced to withdraw from touring with the group a few years later in 1995. Maurice died from complications of a chronic illness. Parkinson's disease in 2016.
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Jeff Cook of the band Alabama battled Parkinson's disease in his later years. He revealed his diagnosis in 2017, explaining that he would no longer tour with country music groups. At that point, he had already been suffering from the disease for five years. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 73 due to complications from Parkinson's disease.
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Linda Ronstadt's singing career ended in 2009 after she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but it was later discovered that she actually had a rare disease called progressive supranuclear palsy. The disease is similar to Parkinson's disease and there is no known cure.
The musician shared his news with AARP The Magazine in 2013, saying, “I didn't know why I couldn't sing. All I knew was it was muscle pain or mechanical. Then I started suffering from Parkinson's disease. It was only when I was diagnosed with the disease that I was finally told.'' “The reason is. I now understand that no one with Parkinson's disease can sing, no matter how hard they try. And in my case, I can't sing a single note.”
She later told CNN's Anderson Cooper in 2020 how her diagnosis changed, explaining that it changed after seeing her doctor. ”I'll be here about a year later [Parkinson’s] After that, it took some time before I was diagnosed with supranuclear palsy. ”