Joanne Woodward was a phenomenal actress and one of the first people to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She juggled her personal life and career and married fellow actor Paul Newman. Where is she today? This article covers details on her children and health.
So, keep scrolling down to learn more.
Where Is Joanne Woodward Today?
Joanne Woodward is currently based in Bozrah, Connecticut. She is reportedly struggling with Alzheimer’s. She showed the symptoms of memory loss shortly after her husband’s death. However, they attributed the signs to depression caused by Paul’s passing.
Unfortunately, Joanne’s health deteriorated rapidly; doctors diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s.
A family insider said Joanne has severe dementia and Alzheimer’s and can hardly remember the life she shared with Paul. The insider told Closer Weekly.“[She} can no longer remember details of her life with Paul. She will occasionally say she used to be married to someone handsome, but that’s it. She doesn’t even re- member the love of her life!”
The insider also revealed that Joanne struggles to recognize her daughters and grandchildren, They added, “She barely speaks anymore, and hardly ever recognizes her own daughters or grandchildren. It’s heartbreaking to see her this way”. She reportedly received treatment at Alder Geriatric Assessment Center, where she took part in a drug trial to combat her condition. However, the trial failed, worsening her condition. “She is so far gone that they feel she is reaching her endpoint,” the insider concluded.
Although all three sisters are looking after their mother, Melissa is arguably putting the most effort.
Currently 92 years old, Joanne Woodward is now retired from acting. In the early winter of 2014, she put up her and her husband Paul Newman’s historic home for sale. They lived in a charming colonial home on a pristine 10.46-acre estate located at 277 and 275 North Avenue in the Coleytown section of town, an area particularly rich in history.
The house was put up for sale at $7.499 million.
In 2021, Joanne made the headline after a new memoir of her husband was discovered in their Connecticut home. According to Associated Press, Paul began the memoir in his Westport home in the 1980s with the help of screenwriter Stewart Stern, then left it there unpublished.
The untitled memoir included Paul’s thoughts on “acting, directing, boyhood, family, fame, Hollywood, Broadway, love, his first marriage, his 50-year marriage to Joanne Woodward, drinking, politics, racing, his ultimate ride to stardom, and aging gracefully”.
Paul and Joanne were heavily involved in philanthropic work including Newman’s Own, the Nell Newman Foundation, and more. Now, all of these are currently handled by her children. She worked as a producer and director which she is now putting on hold for all time’s sake.
Joanne also stepped down as artistic director of the Westport Country Playhouse at the end of 2005. She helped save the historic summer theater in a red barn from developers in the ’90s and headed its $30 million renovation and expansion, completed in 2005.
“I’m the same age as the Playhouse,” said Joanne who was 75-year-old at the time. “It got a renovation, but there’s not much they can do for me. This seems like the right moment in my life, and in the theater, to adjust my role at the Playhouse”.
How Long Were Joanne Woodward And Paul Newman Married?
Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman were married for 50 years before Paul died in 2008 at the age of 83 after battling cancer for a long time. She met Paul as an understudy in the Broadway show Picnic. They eventually married in 1958 shortly after Paul’s divorce from his ex-wife was finalized.
In an interview, Joanne discussed her marriage with Paul. She talked about juggling marriage, her role as a parent, and her career. She explained that it was a very difficult thing, she said that given the choice again she wouldn’t do it. She said she would either have children or have a career.
Joanne added that having a lot of money worked out for her because she could hire good help. She talked that it wasn’t easy because her eldest daughter who was 17 at the time, had bounced from one to another, a total of 12 different schools at the time.
In the interview, Joanne shared about living a nomadic life moving from place to place. But, she and her family always specials place in her heart for Connecticut.
Joanne also touched on the topic of living with her superstar husband Paul Newman. She insisted on the fact that people see them based on what they see on the screen. She believed that this behavior also made her children upset or embarrassed.
Paul Newman And Joanne Woodward Children
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward shared three children together. They welcomed their daughter Elinor Teresa “Nell” Newman in 1959, then welcomed Melissa Stewart “Lissy” Newman in 1961, and their youngest Claire Olivia “Clea” Newman in 1965. Paul also had other three children from his first marriage to Jackie Witte.
Paul and Jackie tied the knots in 1949 and shared three kids; Scott Newman, Stephanie Newman, and Susan Newman. They eventually separated in 1958. Scott, an actor like his father, died at the age of 28 from an accidental overdose in a hotel room in Los Angeles in November 1978. Paul was heartbroken and wished he could’ve been there for Scott.
Susan also followed in her father and brother’s footsteps. She acted in 1977’s Slap Shot, 1978’s I Wanna Hold Your Hand, and 1978’s A Wedding. Her interest in film and entertainment also led to a successful career as a producer and filmmaker. (Adipex) Susan currently lives in California, Vanity Fair reported.
In the aforementioned interview, Joanne talked about her step-daughter Stephanie saying that she is a “wonder unique human being who goes her own way”. Joanne added that she is more like her child than any of her children.
Joanne also talked about being a mother to Clea saying that Clea was the only child that she truly raised. She had Clea when she was 35. After having Clea she stopped acting for 5 or 6 years to raise Clea.
Clea looked up to her parents when it comes to marriage. “They respected each other and laughed more than any couple I have ever known,” Clea exclusively shared with Closer Weekly in February 2021. “That’s why I didn’t get married until later in life … it was hard to find somebody who was really that kind of partner in every way, as my dad was to my mom”.
Clea also works in Hollywood but behind the cameras. Her work desk is in the editorial department and helped produce shows like Big Little Lies, Mad Men, and Raising the Bar. She is married to Kurt Soderlund.
Lissy also shared a similar sentiment speaking with Closer Weekly. She added, “They were inexorably tied to each other by every molecule of their being. The good, the bad, and the ugly. They were stuck together”.
Lissy also established a career in Hollywood appearing in big and small screen projects such as Time Patrol, Revenge of The Stepford Wives, Lou Grant, Gunsmoke, and more. She is married to her husband Raphael Elkind and has two kids Henry Elkind and Peter Elkind.
Nell is the founder of Newman’s Own Organics. She has been married to her husband, Gary Irving, since 2005.
Joanne Woodward Young
Joanne Woodward’s Recent Photos
Related FAQs
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How Much Is Joanne Woodward’s Net Worth?
Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward’s current net worth is above $100 million. At the time of his death, Paul left behind a $600 million fortune in a marital trust for Joanne’s benefit.
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Does Joanne Woodward Feature On HBO’s The Last Movie Stars?
No, HBO The Last Movie Stars doesn’t feature Joanne.
