The legendary Joanne Woodward has been a Hollywood icon for decades. Born on February 27, 1930, Woodward had her career breakthrough in the 1950s, going on to star in such classics as The Three Faces of Eve, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, and Philadelphia.
With a successful career spanning six decades, Woodward’s last acting credit was her work in 2005 on the TV miniseries Empire Falls. Sadly, three years later her longtime spouse Paul Newman passed away from lung cancer.
In the years since, as is common with celebrities in their golden years, rumors and speculation has swirled concerning Joanna Woodward’s current health. To help separate fact from fiction, we took a closer look into how the award-winning actress is doing today.
Woodward’s Health May Have Declined Due To Alzheimer’s Disease
Ever since Newman’s death, rumors have swirled about Woodward suffering from Alzheimer’s. The National Enquirer has published stories about her tragically forgetting Newman.
When she turned 90 in 2020, articles from questionable sources circulated about the family keeping her diagnosis a secret.
Is there anything to these rumors about Joanne Woodward’s health? Well, maybe. Closer claimed Woodward had Alzheimer’s in a 2021 story. The article did include quotes from Woodward’s children, so it may have been accurate. Granted, the children did not say a word about her health in the story.
At over 90 years of age, dementia is all too common. The best evidence for this rumor has to be her absence from public life–Woodward hasn’t been photographed since 2013.
Additionally, outlets like USA Today claimed that in 2007, Newman had learned about his terminal cancer just days after Woodward was diagnosed. While the family has never released an official statement, it seems safe to assume that these rumors are most likely correct.
What Joanne Woodward Is Up To Today
Woodward’s desire to stay out of the limelight makes it difficult to find out much else about her current life. Most reports say the actress lives in Westport, Connecticut, where she and Newman had raised their daughters Elinor, Melissa, and Claire.
In July 2022, HBO released a docuseries on Woodward and Newman’s 50-year life together titled The Last Movie Stars. Directed by Ethan Hawke, the six-part series features other notable Hollywood names such as George Clooney, Laura Linney, and Sam Rockwell voicing long-lost interview transcripts found by Newman’s family in 2019.
While Woodward did not participate in the series, it was still important she was able to see it. “That’s why the family wanted me to do it now,” Hawke told USA Today. “They wanted it to come out while she’s still alive and can see this, to support her.”