She’s the Wife of a Hollywood Star, Has Twice Survived a Deadly Illness & Stood by His Side for 46 Years

Despite his fame, he concealed a disorder that contributed to his success. His wife helped him through it all, but he acknowledges that he let her down when she was told she had a fatal illness. When the illness resurfaced years later, he appeared this time with no justifications.

She supported her Hollywood husband as he established a prosperous career for almost forty years. She battled two serious diseases during that time and stayed strong during his emotional outbursts.

Change, distance, and illness all affected their marriage. The decisions they repeatedly made—through fear, quiet, and healing—were what held them together, not chance.

An Odd Beginning for a Lifetime Collaboration

They first crossed paths in a Beverly Hills clothes boutique in 1976. His future wife, with her brilliant red hair and purple parachute trousers, was working behind the counter.

He had already gained widespread recognition for his role as The Fonz in the popular television series “Happy Days,” and he had come in to get a sports coat. He was instantly struck by something about her presence.

The next week he was back at the store. He quickly discovered that she was straightforward, independent, and uninterested in celebrities.

She responded to his request for a Coke by saying, “I am not a gift service.” However, she later had second thoughts. They crossed the street, took a seat, and drank ginger ales together.

The mom was raising her four-year-old son, Jed, after going through a divorce. He had been adamant up until that moment that he would never wed a woman who had children.

But meeting her dramatically changed that perception. She struck him as gentle, sensible, and incredibly perceptive. They bonded rapidly.

She and her son moved into his house in a matter of weeks. The pair got married in a New York synagogue two years later, in 1978.

Together, they would raise all three of their children in Los Angeles, including Zoe and Max. They had a close relationship from the start, but there were difficulties in the backstage world.

An Invisible Disability and Its Lifelong Struggle

His acting career was already flourishing when he met Stacey, but he was secretly struggling with an issue he didn’t fully comprehend.

During table rehearsals, reading texts was a cumbersome and slow process. He frequently fumbled over phrases, disrupting the scene’s pace, and he concealed his uneasiness with humor.

Teachers and even family members criticized him for being sluggish or not trying hard enough for a large portion of his childhood, but the true issue remained unidentified. He didn’t learn the truth until he was thirty-one years old and married.

Jed, his stepson, recognized the descriptions as being exactly like his own experience after undergoing tests for learning disabilities.

Dyslexia was the last diagnosis, which clarified the frustration he had carried throughout his life. ‘Oh my God, I’m not stupid,’ I thought. He later recalled, “I have something with a name.”

A chronic learning disability that affects how the brain interprets spoken and written language is dyslexia. Even though it has nothing to do with IQ, it has an impact on abilities like spelling, writing, and reading. Known as developmental dyslexia, this most prevalent type typically manifests in childhood but can go untreated well into adulthood.

The illness can manifest in a variety of ways as kids get older, such as:

Spelling fundamental words is difficult.
having trouble recalling letter names.

Letters having similar forms, like b and d or p and q, might be confusing.
issues with rhyme.

Don’t read out loud.

having trouble pronouncing new words.

inability to relate letters or sets of letters to sounds.

difficulties comprehending how sounds combine to form words.

rearranging a word’s sound sequence.

While not all children who exhibit one of these characteristics have dyslexia, those who struggle with reading consistently should be evaluated through official screening in order to receive specialized assistance.

The emotional consequences were as detrimental to the “Happy Days” star as the practical ones. His confidence was severely damaged by decades of being misinterpreted.

He eventually made the decision to use that experience to further his cause, co-writing children’s books about learning disabilities and promoting early detection.

In order to make sure her pupils never experience the shame she and her father once did, his daughter Zoe—who also has dyslexia—became a teacher.

Stacey was a constant source of support during his battle. She supported him as he discovered methods to adjust on set, assisted him with his spelling, and incorporated healthy habits into their lives. With her help, he was able to control a condition that had previously determined his value.

But they would soon find themselves in the opposite position. Stacey would require support and care in the early 2000s after receiving a diagnosis that would jeopardize her health and upend their marriage.

Her Initial Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Stacey received a breast cancer diagnosis at the beginning of the new millennium. Her spouse at the time was filming the comedy series “Arrested Development.” Though he later acknowledged that he wasn’t really there for her in the ways that mattered, he did accompany her to chemotherapy visits.

He would subsequently refer to these choices as his lowest point as a husband, since he occasionally fell asleep in the chair next to her and decided to continue his acting career, which required him to travel while she recovered. Her diagnosis forced the family to confront a condition that neither of them really comprehended at the time.

When cells in the breast change, they become malignant and proliferate until they form tumors, which is how breast cancer happens.

Although women over 50 are most commonly affected, younger women and, in rare instances, men might also experience it.

Stacey had to start therapy right away because she was one of the people who was diagnosed before the usual age range.

The Cleveland Clinic lists the following as potential symptoms:

a breast or underarm lump or thick spot that persists during the menstrual cycle.

A change in the size, shape, or contour of the breasts.

changes to the breast’s skin, like scaling, redness, puckering, or dimpling. It can occasionally take on a violet color or a deeper tone.

a region beneath the skin that has hardened.

Clear or blood-stained breast discharge.

Treatments differ. While some patients use targeted therapy, chemotherapy, or radiation to combat the cancer cells, others have surgery to remove the tumor.

Chemotherapy for months was part of Stacey’s treatment plan; it was demanding, taxing, and unrelenting. She was emotionally determined yet physically exhausted as a result.

After completing her treatment, Stacey gradually resumed her regular activities. Her recovery brought relief and gratitude to her family. They proceeded for a while, establishing routines and concentrating on their kids. However, the illness they believed they had conquered was still alive and well.

Her Cancer Comes Back

Years after her first recovery, Stacey was given the same diagnosis once more. This time, a double mastectomy was necessary as a more drastic treatment for the illness.

Beyond her personal health, there were repercussions from the timing of her return. Their daughter Zoe and her ex-boyfriend Robert were having a tense relationship.

Even though they had split up months prior, Robert showed up at Zoe’s door right away with Chinese cuisine and an offer to help in any way he could after hearing of Stacey’s diagnosis.

In addition to providing assistance to the family during Stacey’s recuperation, his presence also assisted in repairing his connection with Zoe.

After Stacey’s second diagnosis, the family became closer than ever. Actor Henry Winkler, her spouse, who had previously found it difficult to be emotionally present, had the opportunity to treat her sickness in a fresh way.

A Husband Receiving Treatment

Henry made a choice that would alter not only his marriage but also his identity years after Stacey Winkler’s second fight with cancer. In order to investigate why he had withdrawn rather than providing the emotional presence she required during her initial sickness, he started regular therapy.

He went over upsetting aspects of his early years in therapy. According to him, such wounds were covered with a “Chernobyl-like layer of cement” and left untreated for many years.

He developed a deeper connection with everyone around him, particularly Stacey, as a result of “jackhammering” through that cement piece by piece.

Additionally, therapy encouraged him to live more naturally instead of playing the part he believed he should play. He attributes the improvements Stacey witnessed directly to the sessions, saying they helped him become more patient, attentive, and willing to express his emotions. She even went to one of his appointments to see what he was doing.

In ways that public achievement could never, the change bolstered their bond. Red carpets, awards, and professional recognition had earned him recognition, but therapy provided Henry with the means to maintain the aspects of his personal life that he cherished most.

We are not the same individuals.

Henry and Stacey’s marriage has become a case study in adaptation after decades of being together. They have endured the rigors of a public profession, personal failings, and severe illness. They have a number of grandchildren now, more than 46 years after getting married.

Simple joys strengthen the link between them. Together, they love trout fishing, always returning their catch to the water. From children’s weddings to grandchildren’s births, they commemorate life events together. Additionally, Stacey was by Henry’s side after his Emmy win in 2018 for his performance on “Barry,” just as she has been during his entire career.

Stacey has stated that they are not the same people they were when they were married after giving their life together some thought. They have been molded by decades of common experiences, yet their early commitments to partnership, loyalty, and support have not changed.

More than just perseverance has characterized their journey. It is a chronicle of two individuals developing both independently and together, overcoming obstacles that would have caused them to drift apart, yet always choose to stay together.