Glover, 79, announced his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, aiming to take control of his narrative.
Glover’s family supports him, emphasizing the importance of living in the moment.
Despite his condition, Glover remains active and believes Alzheimer’s is not the end of the road.
Danny Glover has revealed that for the last few years, he’s been living with Alzheimer’s.
Source: Variety / Getty
The beloved actor announced his diagnosis in an interview with Lester Holt on the Today show. Glover, 79, and his family came together to unpack just how different things have been since receiving the diagnosis, also revealing why the legendary actor decided to make things public now.
“I’m sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing,” the Lethal Weapon star said.
The Alzheimer’s Association is now working with Glover, advising him and the more than 7 million Americans over age 65 living with Alzheimer’s that simple actions can help in the fight against the disease. Staying physically active, managing blood pressure and diabetes, and getting quality sleep are all important steps, according to the organization.
Since his diagnosis, Glover’s movements, speech, and memories have all slowed, but that hasn’t stopped him from being active in his community.
“I could live with it, in a sense,” Glover said on Today.
As for why the star and his family have chosen to come forward with this now, they believe they can help remove the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s by coming forward.
“I think it’s really important for him to have control of his own narrative, of his own life story,” Glover’s daughter, Mandisa, told Holt. “That’s really important. And the time is now. What better time but now for him to speak for himself?
“It’s important because people ask questions sometimes, and I don’t want to be a dishonest person and say, ‘Oh, yeah, everything is all right. It’s all great,’” she added.
In an interview with People, Glover gave an even more in-depth look at his life with Alzheimer’s. Mandisa told the publication at the beginning of the conversation, “I think he’s aware sometimes and then sometimes not.”
She went on to add that her dad is ready to reveal his diagnosis, emphasizing that it’s important to him to be of service.
“I don’t feel like it’s the end of my life,” Glover told the outlet. “There’s work to do.”
“I’m still not accepting in my mind all parts of it,” he says of his diagnosis. “There are the moments that you keep remembering that validate the fact that you can remember stuff. And there are moments I’ll never forget.”
In 2022, Glover took home the Oscars’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his lifelong dedication to charitable work and activism. That same year is when Mandisa says she started to notice a behavioral changes, which led to his Alzheimer’s diagnosis the follow year.
The legendary actor has quite the support system around him, including his brother Marty, 67, who lives with him.
“We just want him to live his best life, like he made us live ours,” Marty told People.
Mandisa admitted that “sure, it’s depressing” for her father, adding, “It’s a change in the core of who you think you are or don’t think you are.” For her, personally, “it’s very hard. You just have to live the day for what it is.”
Regardless of his condition, Glover wants the world to know that Alzheimer’s is not the end of the road.
“I still have my daughter, I have friends. I want to just say, your life continues,” he said.
