Actress Kathleen Turner has always been known for her discretion when it comes to her private and personal life, and she has rarely been photographed away from a film set or promotional event. However, we all have an oversight and, thus, the legendary actress was caught by the paparazzi during one of her walks through New York City, where she currently resides, almost five months after being seen in public for the last time.
On this occasion, her followers could not help but notice the obvious physical change of the actress – a Hollywood film icon and undisputed star of the hits of the 80s and 90s – who has serious mobility problems and suffers from complications derived from their obesity.
Turner reappeared in the well-known Chinatown neighborhood in Manhattan, almost half a year after the premiere of Maestro, where he wanted to accompany Bradley Cooper and the rest of the cast. The protagonist of The Kominsky Method had not been seen in public since then, and the actress has greatly limited her outings since she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the peak of her career.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing inflammation, pain and swelling in the area. If the inflammation continues for a long time, it can cause permanent damage to the joint.
The actress has already revealed how the diagnosis was a huge burden for her on a personal level, but also in her professional career, since her role as “America’s sweetheart” ended almost in one fell swoop due to the physical changes caused by the disease.
“They told me that I was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life and at that time there was no medication that we have now,” the actress recalled a few years ago in an interview with Salon. “The production companies were afraid to hire someone with a disease that they knew nothing about and couldn’t control. If I couldn’t control my hand and I dropped a cup… People thought I was drunk.”
The actress has undergone several surgeries over the years, with the autoimmune disease becoming the epicenter of her daily life. “It is very difficult to understand the level of pain that this disorder brings to your life,” she revealed to Vulture, confessing that she also turned to alcohol as a way to mitigate that pain.
In 2002, he put his life back together. He went through rehabilitation and his priority became his health. Currently, she does activities that allow her to control the inflammation and tries to walk as much as she can to achieve better mobility and avoid going in and out of the hospital.
“I hate what it does to my mind and my body. You don’t sleep well, it makes you feel bad, it damages your body, your bones, your muscle; there is no cure for this disease, but all the women in my family have lived long lives. “So I get up and I can do everything. I’m not going to die.”
