Danny Glover stopped by NBC on Wednesday, July 1 to reveal that for the past few years, he has been living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The screen veteran, 79, who is the recipient of five Emmy nominations and four Grammy nominations, among many other accolades, sat down with Lester Holt for an interview that aired on TODAY the morning of July 1.
How has Alzheimer’s affected Danny so far?
He was joined by his family, which includes his daughter Mandisa, for the conversation. “I’m sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing,” Danny noted, proudly saying of his family: “They’ve got my back.”
The Lethal Weapon star explained that his movements and memories have slowed due to the diagnosis, but he is still keeping as active as possible, engaging regularly with the community in his native San Francisco and now working with the Alzheimer’s Association.
© Getty ImagesWhy is the Glover family sharing his diagnosis now?
“I could live with it, in a sense,” he told Lester. Danny and Mandisa noted that they wanted to create more awareness about Alzheimer’s by sharing his diagnosis and remove some of the “stigma” surrounding the degenerative condition.
“I think it’s really important for him to have control of his own narrative, of his own life story,” Mandisa shared. “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.'”
© Getty ImagesAlzheimer’s: what is it, and is there a cure?
Per the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease is “a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.”
Currently, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s, although certain treatments (including drugs like donanemab and lecanemab) can help reduce beta-amyloid, one of the most significant factors contributing to functional and cognitive decline for people with early Alzheimer’s.
© Getty ImagesWhy Danny still wants to remain active
The Mandela star, in particular, noted that he wanted to remain active in his community because of his parents, whose activism inspired him and his siblings from a young age. “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,” he shared.
“Justice is our collective responsibility. 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.”
© Getty ImagesHis brother Martin Glover also spoke with Lester about working with the Alzheimer’s Association and acting as a support system for his brother. “He took me under his wing, and I love him to death. And I’m here to help him now,” he lovingly added.
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