Joanne Woodward's Brave Last Days: Paul Newman's 93-Year-Old Widow Losing Her Battle With Alzheimer's Disease
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
S creen legend Joanne Woodward ’s brave 16-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease is coming to an end as family friends revealed the 93-year-old is in her final days, OK! has learned.
A friend revealed Paul Newman ’s widow — who won a Best Actress Oscar for 1957’s The Three Faces of Eve — now receives at-home hospice care. She’s said to be surrounded by the daughters she shared with Newman — Nell , 64, Melissa , 61, and Claire , 57 — as well as Paul’s girls Susan , 70, and Stephanie , 69, with his first wife, Jackie Witte . “At this point, the best that can be done for Joanne is to keep her comfortable while waiting for the inevitable,” noted the friend. “It’s a tribute to her courage and determination she has lived with this debilitating disease as long as she has .”
Woodward’s passing will come with a silver lining as her estimated $50 million estate will be divvied up between the daughters for their favorite charitable causes. When Paul died in 2008, half his fortune went to his Newman’s Own Foundation and other charities, while Joanne received the rest.
Though Paul and Joanne's marriage looked perfect from the outside, Melissa previously admitted they didn't always get along.
"There is this fairy tale of my parents’ perfect marriage ," she shared. "There was a vibe of tension in the house that would sort of come and go."
"My mother was always the rock, even when she said, ‘I’m drawing the line. You either get your act together or I’m out,’" she continued. "I think dad respected her because he knew she wasn’t bluffing."
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In the HBO 7 part documentary "The Last Movie Stars" a pretty persuasive argument is made that Joanne Woodward was one of the greatest American actresses of all time. To a great degree she sacrificed her career to her husbands. She was considered a much better actor than Paul for a number of years , but the time came when they had a couple kids and she decided to stay home. Woodward did return to acting but she never got back to the plum roles she had before, except on television.
The film also informs that Newman was irresponsible and a heavy drinker at times, and his wife was the one that held their marriage together.
Joanne Woodard was truly a great actress and a true Hollywood legend. I'm sorry to hear of the situation and when the time comes hopefully she will pass painlessly and gently.
Best regards to one of the greatest actresses.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward might be the biggest philanthropists in Hollywood history. Through the Newman's Foods profits, they gave over 500 million dollars to charity.
And their products are quite good. We purchase them quite often.
I always used his salad dressings.
A brave Southern woman......
So sad... Hopefully she is not suffering.
There was never the big foo-fer-ah about her that there was about Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, but she was probably a better actress than any of them. Sorry to see the last remains of the Golden Days of Hollywood leaving us who loved the movies made during those times.
She was never particularly glamorous but she was a beautiful woman. I loved any movie she was in. My favorite is "Big Hand for the Little Lady"
I hope her passing is gentle
Watched it on a streaming channel last night. The last 15 minutes are a big and enjoyable twist.
I know, right?
Woodward is one of Hollywood's great actresses. To me, she will always be Eve White, Eve Black, and Jane.
May she live her remaining days free of pain.