About 10 million people in the world suffer from Parkinson’s disease (PD) and among these people, many celebrities have been diagnosed. Some famous people have died with the disease while others have to deal with the challenges that come with the disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological condition that causes problems with movement, mental health, sleep, pain, and other health issues. There is no cure but the symptoms can be reduced through treatment and therapy.
The disease which renders many people disabled also comes with dementia and it is often found in men and older people. This is not to say that women or younger people cannot suffer from the disease.
The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown but there are researches carried out around the globe. The disease can be genetic or can be caused by other environmental factors. All these said, who are some famous people who suffer from this condition and where are they now?
10 Celebrities Who Suffer From Parkinson’s Disease and What They Are Up to
1. Michael J. Fox
At the age of 29 in 1991, Canadian actor Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He kept it private before he revealed it to the public in 1998 when he was 36.
In 2000, the Stuart Little actor founded The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. He is also on the Board of Directors of the foundation and works ardently for the course.
He has gone to different parts of the world speaking and trying to create awareness and help with the ailment. He is now easily seen as one of the world’s most influential and greatest advocates of Parkinson’s.
While living with the disease, he also continues with his career as an actor. He appeared in NBC’s The Michael J. Fox Show in 2013. There, he played Mike. The series is about a man living with Parkinson’s and his everyday life.
The 63-year-old actor has been married to American actress Tracy Pollan since 1988 and the couple has four children.
2. Linda Ronstadt
The You’re No Good singer realized that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to use her vocals in 2000. She battled with this for many years until she retired from professional music in 2009.
In 2013, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which she later found out was a Parkinson-like disorder known as progressive supranuclear palsy.
The condition has similar symptoms to Parkinson’s and dementia and can grow worse over time.
Now, the singer finds it difficult to do normal little things that she was used to. Singing is also difficult for her. She told Today that the disease has taken away her ability to sing. She only gets to sing in her head and sometimes, her brain chooses which song to sing.
3. Billy Connolly
Connolly has been battling Parkinson’s for over a decade since he was diagnosed in 2013. He has spoken about how the disease has taken its toll on him.
The comedian and actor has revealed that he is dependent on people a lot of times and sometimes uses a wheelchair. The ailment that has changed his life also made the actor announce in 2023 that he was fed up.
Regarding his struggle, he said:
I’m clumsy and I lose my balance. I’m out of balance a lot and I fall,” he said. “I’m fed up with it.
However, through it all, he finds humor and sometimes laughs at himself. This technique has helped him to go through the difficulty of the disease.
4. Alan Alda
The 88-year-old American actor Alan Alda was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015. He has adjusted to the challenges that come with the disease. He opened up about his most difficult challenge since he was diagnosed. He revealed that in an interview:
Tying shoelaces can be a challenge with stiff fingers. Think of playing violin while wearing mittens. The silver linen is that I keep getting more confident that I can always find a workaround.
Regardless of this, the M*A*S*H actor says he is doing everything he can to slow the progression of the disease.
While living with Parkinson’s disease, he works out, handles his podcast The Clear and Vivid Podcast With Alan Alda, and enjoys playing chess with his wife.
5. Neil Diamond
The Grammy Award-winning musician Neil Diamond was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016 but he lived in denial and continued to try to act normal. He later accepted and announced that he was suffering from the disease in 2018.
When he revealed the ailment in an interview with CBS Sunday morning, he made it known that he would be returning from touring.
Despite this, he revealed that he was going to continue writing, recording, and developing new projects.
The Sweet Caroline singer is 75 years old and has been trying to live life as much as he can despite the health setback.
6. Jesse Jackson
He is an American civil rights activist and former Democratic presidential candidate. He announced that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017. He revealed that he and his family noticed that he was having more difficulty in performing routine tasks.
Then in 2023, he announced that he would be stepping down as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition – an organization he founded.
Jackson has suffered different health challenges over the years. In 2021, he underwent gallbladder surgery and later, he and his wife Jacqueline were hospitalized after testing positive for the coronavirus.
7. Samuel Smith
At 44, Samuel Smith’s life changed when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. His symptoms stopped him from playing guitar and stopped him from performing many tasks. In his words,
Just 44, I was barely able to tap my right foot in time, complete basic tasks like whisking an egg or get consistent sleep due to increasing stiffness and pain in my shoulder.
Whatever the case and like many other celebrities living with the disease, Smith received support from family, friends, and colleagues.
The English musician has gone ahead to release his album In the Springtime
8. Nicolas Hodges
Hodges, an English pianist and interpreter of contemporary classical music was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019 even though he noticed his body and reflexes changing since the fall of 2018.
When he was diagnosed, it was noted that the musician had been performing with Parkinson’s for about three years.
The 54-year-old has had to adjust in his career since his diagnosis. He has been
forced Hodges to make “aesthetic decisions,” he said, to select what music to commission and to perform with greater rigor. The diagnosis has “made me try to focus even more on what multiple contradictory things are most important to me.”
See Also: 5 Celebrities With Noonan Syndrome
9. Ozzy Osbourne
In 2020, musician Ozzy Osbourne revealed that he had a show on New Year’s Eve that led to a bad fall. This led to his having surgery on the next and it tampered with his nerves.
It was at this point that he revealed that he was battling Parkinson’s. Since then, he has been on medication. At the time that he revealed his state of health, he also made it known that he was on medication for nerve pain.
The No More Tear singer has had different challenges since he was diagnosed. He has had issues with movement and got depressed. These are symptoms that are easily associated with the neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopamine-producing neurons in the brain.
Osbourne has received support from family and friends, especially from his wife Sharon.
10. Mick Jones
In February 2024, Foreigner founder and guitarist Mick Jones revealed that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease years before. The 69-year-old revealed that the disease kept him away from his band’s farewell tour.
The disease has been a daily struggle for the musician but “the most important thing is to preserve and remind me of the wonderful career I’ve had in music” says the London Calling musician on social media.
Other Famous People Who Lived with Parkinson’s Disease
- Muhammad Ali (legendary boxer) – died on 3 June 2016.
- Janet Reno (Former United States Attorney General) – died on 7 November 2016.
- Billy Graham (American evangelist) – died on February 21, 2018.
- Pope John Paul II (Former head of the Catholic Church) – died on 2 April 2005.
- Bob Hoskins (Actor and film director) – died on 29 April 2014.
- George H. W. Bush (41st U.S. President) – died on November 30, 2018.
- Robin Williams (American actor and comedian) – died on 11 August 2014.
- Richard Lewis (American comedian) – died in his home on February 27, 2024.
