Danny Glover Shares Alzheimer's Diagnosis

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Danny Glover is navigating a difficult chapter of his life.

For the first time, the Lethal Weapon star shared that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2023.

"I'm still not accepting in my mind all parts of it," Glover told People in an interview published July 1. "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."

The 79-year-old reflected on accepting his diagnosis, adding that it is "in some sense, acknowledging that it's happening to you and at the same time that there are millions of people suffering from it."

Although Glover is holding on to his wits the best her can, he had already made peace with the prospect of eventually losing his memories. As he told Lester Holt on Today July 1, "I could live with it, in a sense."

"I'm sure, as it advances," he added, "things are gonna be different and changing."

As his condition continues to progress, Glover reflected on his expansive acting career and the film he holds closest to his heart: 1984's Places in the Heart, starring Sally Field. He dedicated the project to his mom Carrie, who died in a car accident the same day he told her about his role.

Glover ultimately turned his grief into change throughout his career, focusing on social justice.

"The one thing about my parents was their activism," he explained. "A sense of being and belonging and making the contribution. When I saw the Montgomery bus boycott (in 1955-56), I knew I wanted to be like those people. I wanted to be in that moment and part of the role."

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And now, the Color Purple actor hopes he can foster that passion in young people before the disease truly takes hold.

"It's talking to young people and their responsibility," he said. "We have challenges in the world. I think art becomes a reframe, a way of looking at that."

"Justice is our collective responsibility," he continued. "One thing I learned from my parents most of my life is the capacity of people to change through their own. They become the architect of their change."

Meanwhile, Glover's daughter Mandisa Glover—whom he shares with ex-wife Asake Bomani—shared a glimpse into her dad's decision to share his diagnosis.

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"We all get old. It happens. That's what I think is important: that he tells his story and he has ownership of his life," she told Holt. "The time is now. What better time than now for him to speak for himself?"

And she knows it will also bring light to the reality of navigating the debilitating disease.

"It's important because people ask questions sometimes," Mandisa added. "I don't want to be a dishonest person and say, 'Oh, yeah, everything is all right. It's all great.""

As Glover and his loved ones grapple with their new normal, keep reading for more celebrities who've shared insight into their own health journeys.