By Marisa Laudadio
2:13pm PDT, Apr 4, 2023
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Bombshell actress Raquel Welch, whose career took off in the 1960s thanks to her work in films including "Fantastic Voyage" and "One Million Years B.C," passed away at 82 in February 2023 after what her rep called "a brief illness." In April 2023, TMZ obtained the famed beauty's death certificate, which revealed that she died from cardiac arrest — and that she'd had Alzheimer's disease for "years." Raquel's family had not previously publicly shared her battle with the condition, which was listed as a contributing factor in her death.
Keep reading for more famous people who've suffered from Alzheimer's — a neurodegenerative disease — or dementia, a condition characterized by progressive or persistent loss of intellectual functioning, in recent decades…
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Nearly a year after Bruce Willis's family announced that the action movie star was retiring from acting in March 2022 after being diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension, they shared a heartbreaking new diagnosis: On Feb. 15, 2023, they shared that the "Die Hard" and "Moonlighting" star, who was 67 at the time, has dementia. "Since we announced Bruce's diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce's condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD). Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis," his family wrote on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration website. FTD is the most common form of dementia. "Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead," the statement continued. "As Bruce's condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research."
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Actress Stella Stevens — who appeared in 200 movies and TV shows including 1963's "The Nutty Professor" (pictured) and 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure" — died at 84 on Feb. 17, 2023, from Alzheimer's disease. "Alzheimer's is an insidious disease which affected not only my mother, but my grandmother and great aunt. Hopefully my mother's work will be remembered for her collaborations with some of the entertainment industry's biggest icons," her son, actor and producer Andrew Stevens, told CNN of Stella, who also co-starred with Elvis Presley in "Girls! Girls! Girls!" and won a New Star of the Year Golden Globe in 1960 after making her debut in "Say One for Me" with Bing Crosby and Debbie Reynolds.
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Chaim Topol — the Oscar- and Tony-nominated star of "Fiddler on the Roof" — died in Tel Aviv on March 9, 2023, at 87 following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease. According to son Omar, the actor — who also notably appeared in the films "For Your Eyes Only" and "Flash Gordon" — "successfully prevailed for a long time," Ynetnews reported, adding that Omar further shared that his dad was an "amazing actor who developed all kinds of tactics to cover up the problems that began to arise. When he won the Israel Prize [in 2015], his Alzheimer's was in its early stages. He spoke wonderfully at the ceremony, and also at other events, and no one even felt it."
Israel's President Isaac Herzog mourned Chaim's death, describing him as a "gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and especially entered deep into our hearts." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further mourned the loss, saying Chaim's "contribution to Israeli culture will continue to exist for generations."
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Actor Peter Falk, who was best known for his work as the titular detective on the hit TV show "Columbo," was diagnosed with dementia following a series of dental operations in late 2007 and spent the final years of his life suffering from advanced Alzheimer's disease. The Oscar-nominated actor — a four-time Emmy winner — died at 83 in 2011.
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In 2002, Oscar-winning actor Charlton Heston publicly announced that doctors had confirmed he was "suffering symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease." The "Ben-Hur" and "The Ten Commandments" star explained, "For an actor, there is no greater loss than the loss of his audience. I can part the Red Sea, but I can't part with you, which is why I won't exclude you from this stage in my life." He vowed to work as long as he could but asked for grace. "If you see a little less spring to my step, if your name fails to leap to my lips, you'll know why," he said. "And if I tell you a funny story for the second time, please laugh anyway." He died in 2008.
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Famed animal expert Jack Hanna was diagnosed with dementia that progressed into Alzheimer's disease, his family announced in April 2021. The wildlife conservationist and educator's condition, his family said in a statement, has progressed "much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated." Jack — a staple of late night and daytime TV shows for decades as well as an Emmy-winning TV host — is "no longer able to participate in the public life as he used to," his daughters said in the statement, adding, "Even though Dad is no longer able to travel and work in the same way, we know that this infectious enthusiasm has touched many hearts and will continue to be his legacy."
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In January 2022 — two weeks after he passed away at 94 at his Beverly Hills home — a death certificate for Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier was released. It revealed that he died from heart failure, with two underlying causes also noted: Alzheimer's dementia and prostate cancer.
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In an interview with AARP The Magazine released in February 2021, the family of legendary singer Tony Bennett publicly revealed that the 18-time Grammy winner was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. "There's a lot about him that I miss," wife Susan — who is also Tony's caretaker — told the magazine, "because he's not the old Tony anymore. But when he sings, he's the old Tony."
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Joe E. Tata — the actor best known for playing beloved Peach Pit owner Nat on "Beverly Hills, 90210" for a decade — died in August 2022 after a years-long battle with Alzheimer's disease. "After his final role on ABC Family's 'Mystery Girls,' my father's health took a turn for the worse [in 2014]," his daughter, Kelly Tata, shared in 2021 when she launched a GoFundMe page to help her be nearer him as his condition declined. "In 2018, he was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease." In the spring of 2022, Joe — who was under a conservatorship in the final years of his life — "was moved to a memory care facility called The Motion Picture Television Fund," she wrote. "He isn't saying much these days, but I know my presence has certainly lifted his spirits… and his mine." By July 2022, Joe was "less and less talkative," Kelly wrote in another update, "but [he] still recognizes me, between naps," she added. He passed away not long after.
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"St. Elsewhere" and "Serpico" actor David Birney — who starred alongside future ex-wife Meredith Baxter on the lauded yet short-lived '70s sitcom "Bridget Loves Bernie" — had Alzheimer's in the final years of his life. His partner and caretaker, Michele Roberge, revealed the stage and screen actor's diagnosis in December 2017. She also confirmed to The New York Times that his April 2022 death was due to the disease.
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In March 2021, legal documents obtained by Page Six revealed that former "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" husband Tom Girardi — whom Bravo star Erika Jayne served with divorce papers in 2020 — had just been diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The news came a few months after he was hospitalized for a "serious illness" and as the former trial lawyer's brother worked to be named his conservator amid a slew of legal troubles as well as his ongoing divorce from Erika.
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After two decades of suffering symptoms, Hollywood siren Rita Hayworth was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1980. "It was just so horrible to watch. She had to know. She had to know her mind was being robbed," the "Gilda" star's daughter and caretaker, Yasmin Aga Khan, told The Washington Post two years after the movie star's 1987 death, adding that "the family feels so helpless." Rita's diagnosis being made public in the '80s has been credited with significantly raising awareness of the disease.
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Former President Ronald Reagan in 1994 revealed he had Alzheimer's disease. "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life," he wrote in a letter addressed to his "Fellow Americans." The former Hollywood star explained that he and wife Nancy Reagan publicly disclosed the news of his diagnosis in hopes of shining a light on the disease. "In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition," he added. "Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it." He died a decade later.
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It wasn't until after the 2016 death of comedy legend Gene Wilder that the world learned he'd suffered from Alzheimer's disease. When the star of "The Producers," "Young Frankenstein," and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" passed away, his family revealed he'd been diagnosed three years earlier but that it "was his choice" not to disclose his illness in part because he didn't want to disappoint "the countless young children that would smile or call out to him, 'There's Willy Wonka.'" According to his family's statement, "He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world."
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Country music star Glen Campbell in 2011 announced that he had Alzheimer's disease. He and his family chronicled his journey as he went on a goodbye tour in 2012 — though he struggled to remember his lyrics, he remarkably did not lose the ability to play guitar. Glen also starred in a 2014 documentary focused on his final concert trek and how he coped with his illness, "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me." He died in 2017, six years after his diagnosis.
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Athlete Sugar Ray Robinson — the five-time world middleweight boxing champion considered by many to be the best fighter of all time – died in 1989 while suffering from Alzheimer's disease and diabetes.
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Charles Bronson, the "Death Wish" franchise actor with a penchant for tough-guy roles, suffered from Alzheimer's disease in the final years of his life, according to multiple media outlets. His family confirmed the diagnosis in 2001, DailyMail.com reported. He died in 2003.
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Oscar-nominated Emmy winner Burgess Meredith — who memorably starred in "Of Mice and Men" and played The Penguin on TV's "Batman" series as well as trainer Mickey in the "Rocky" film franchise during his six-decade career — lost his battle with Alzheimer's disease in 1997.
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Juliana of the Netherlands — the country's queen from 1948 until her abdication in 1980 who was one of the most popular members of the Dutch royal family in history — suffered from Alzheimer's disease ahead of her 2004 death, husband Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld confirmed in 2001.
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Singer Perry Como — who entertained fans for decades with his dulcet tones on hits like "Catch a Falling Star" as well as countless Christmas songs — died in 2001 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease in his final years.
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Famed American painter Norman Rockwell died in 1978 after suffering from dementia and, according to many reports, Alzheimer's disease.
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David Prowse — the British bodybuilder-turned-actor who physically brought "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader to life in the franchise's early films (James Earl Jones provided the character's voice) — died from COVID-19 in 2020, but his daughter confirmed to The Sun that he'd previously been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in his later years.
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According to The Guardian, famed Dutch-born painter Willem de Kooning was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease more than a decade before his 1997 death.
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Actor Al Brown, who's best known for his role as Baltimore Police Commissioner Stanislaus "Stan" Valchek on HBO's "The Wire," died in Las Vegas on Jan. 13, 2023, after a battle with Alzheimer's, daughter Jenny confirmed to TMZ. The actor — a 29-year Air Force veteran who served two tours in Vietnam before forging his Hollywood career — was 83.
