Joanne Woodward’s Love Story with Paul Newman—And the Heartbreaking Turn It Took
Joanne Woodward Lost Her Husband After 50 Years of Marriage & Now ‘Doesn’t Even Remember the Love of Her Life’ — Their Story
Together, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman created a life that spanned significant loss, personal hardships, and career achievement. Over the course of their fifty-year partnership, they experienced both devotion and difficulties. However, Joanne no longer recalls the man she shared everything with in her latter years.
The romance between Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, which lasted for fifty years, started in the 1950s. They were committed to one another until Paul’s death, despite personal hardships and professional demands.
Shortly before she lost Paul, Joanne was diagnosed with a medical ailment that has now gotten worse. She is now 94 years old and depends on her daughters for care because she can no longer recall the life they led together.
The Story of Joanne and Paul’s Love started in the 1950s.
Early in the 1950s, Paul and Joanne met at the Actors Studio in New York. Paul was then married to Jackie Witte, his first wife, and they had a little boy named Scott. Joanne, a gifted actress from Georgia, was likewise aiming for a Hollywood career.
In 1953, they became closer after collaborating on the Broadway production of “Picnic.” Paul was attracted to Joanne because of her brilliance and talent. He was still married, though, and for a number of years they had a merely platonic connection.
Paul’s relationship with Joanne got stronger over time, while his marriage to Jackie became more tense. Shortly after their on-screen reunion in “The Long, Hot Summer” (1958), Paul completed his divorce from Joanne. He and Joanne quickly made their union official after splitting from Jackie.
That following year, they got married in Las Vegas, starting a fifty-year partnership. The pair chose to live away from the spotlight of Hollywood while pursuing their incredible careers, settling in Westport, Connecticut.
A Marriage Characterized by Love and Difficulties
Although Paul and Joanne’s marriage was based on a strong bond, there were challenges. Despite being regarded as one of Hollywood’s most resilient pairs, they had difficulties throughout their relationship. It was characterized by Paul’s battle with alcohol, family conflicts, and personal sacrifices.
The Academy Award-winning actress Joanne once made the decision to take a break from her work in order to raise their three daughters, Claire “Clea” Newman, Melissa “Lissy,” and Nell. While Paul pursued a demanding career in Hollywood, appearing in some of his most famous films, she committed herself to building a secure home.
Although both were successful, Paul’s job required him to spend a lot of time away from home, and his absence negatively affected the family. Additionally, Paul’s first marriage produced three children: Stephanie, Susan, and Scott. He had a tense relationship with everyone of them, particularly Scott.
Paul didn’t spend much time with his kids after splitting from his first wife, Jackie. The oldest, Scott, harbored bitterness toward his father and grew to despise Joanne, holding them both responsible for the breakdown of his parents’ union. Scott battled substance misuse as he got older.
Their relationship remained complex even after efforts at reconciliation were made in the 1970s. In 1978, tragedy struck when Scott, then 28 years old, overdosed and died. Paul expressed his sadness and subsequently acknowledged that he wished he had done more to support his kid.
He tried to mend the harm created by his absence and put more of an emphasis on his family in the years that followed. The love between Paul and Joanne endured throughout the ups and downs. “There were some difficult moments and a give-and-take on both sides,” a close friend once said. However, their intensely affectionate relationship would turn out to be irreversible.
Paul was suspected of having an affair with writer Nancy Bacon in 1969 after his drinking became a major problem in their marriage. Joanne did not leave despite the tension produced by the treachery. Paul made attempts to mend the harm his drinking had caused and gradually restored trust.
He eventually conveyed his appreciation for Joanne’s sacrifices. He took up behind-the-camera work to help her career, producing and directing movies that let her show off her acting skills.
Despite their imperfect marriage, they remained steadfast in their devotion to one another. However, Paul and Joanne’s friendship would be put to the ultimate test as they approached their last years.
Paul’s Last Years and Death
Paul started to exhibit signs of degeneration around the middle of the 2000s. Citing memory loss and a lack of trust in his skills, he made his acting retirement public in May 2007. “I’m not able to work anymore… at the level that I would want to,” he said.
Even though he didn’t originally disclose any significant health issues, rumors concerning his wellbeing began to circulate. Joanne received a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease that same year. Paul’s own sad news—that his disease was terminal—came just nine days later.
After fifty years of dating, the couple was suddenly confronted with the devastating fact that their time together was coming to an end. Paul initially downplayed his worries while undergoing therapy and kept his diagnosis a secret. But by August 2008, it was evident that things were becoming worse for him.
After completing treatment, he made the decision to spend his last days with his loved ones at home in Connecticut. Paul died on September 26, 2008, at the age of 83. According to Jeff Sanderson, his publicist, he passed away quietly at his farmhouse close to Westport, Connecticut, surrounded by his loved ones.
“We always felt that my mom was so strong that if anything ever happened to my dad, he would fall apart,” his daughter Melissa subsequently thought. My mom would be alright, though, if something happened to my father. And I firmly believe that’s the reason he left the earth at that time.”
An era came to an end with Paul’s passing, but Joanne’s troubles were only getting started. Her memories of the guy she had loved for fifty years started to wane as her Alzheimer’s disease worsened.
Joanne’s Alzheimer’s Battle and Memory Loss
Joanne’s illness was still in its early stages when Paul passed away, but in the years that followed, it quickly got worse. Her daughters initially thought that her forgetfulness was the result of grief, but as time passed, it became evident that something far more terrible was taking place.
Joanne’s memory loss had gotten so bad by 2015 that she was unable to recall Paul. She would sometimes say she was married to a lovely man, but she couldn’t remember his name, a family insider said. According to the insider, “she doesn’t even remember the love of her life,”
She lost the ability to recognize her loved ones as the illness spread. “She hardly speaks anymore and hardly ever recognizes her own daughters or grandchildren,” a family source disclosed. Seeing her in this state is awful.
Joanne is rarely seen in public and now needs 24-hour care. She took part in a medication experiment while receiving treatment at Yale University’s Adler Geriatric Assessment Center, but her health kept becoming worse.
Her family came to terms with the fact that she was nearing the end of her illness when doctors finally concluded that more treatments would not be beneficial. Even though Joanne’s memory has diminished, her daughters are still committed to taking care of her.
Support from Her Family and Their Legacy
Clea, Nell, and Melissa have stuck by their mother’s side. While making sure Joanne gets the greatest care possible, they continue to respect the legacy of both of their parents. Living next door to Joanne’s old Connecticut home to be near her mother, Melissa in particular has taken on a pivotal role in her well-being.
As the illness worsens, the sisters keep a careful eye on Joanne’s status and communicate with her medical staff. Joanne’s family still treasures their time with her, even if she no longer remembers them. Nell has paid moving homage to her mother on social media in recent years.
She shared old pictures of Joanne on Mother’s Day in 2023, writing, “I always say my mother was a saint. She sacrificed a portion of her career to raise three of Pops’ children and three of her own. I consider myself fortunate to have experienced her love and compassion all of my life.
Nell had also posted a heartfelt remembrance of Joanne on Mother’s Day 2022, referring to her as her “best friend of a lifetime.” She commended her mother’s “intelligence, compassion, patience, and creativity”—elements that characterized Joanne as a loving mother and an actor.
Rare snippets of Nell’s mother’s conversations with her relatives have also been shared. She shared a photo of Joanne with her grandchild on social media in May 2022.
“My beautiful and gifted nephew, Hennytheartist, will likely be horrified that I’m sharing this. “You can see him jitterbugging and playing air guitar with his grandmother, demonstrating his creative abilities as a dancer,” she added.
Melissa has also discussed her parents’ relationship and provided insight into the circumstances that contributed to the longevity of their love. According to her, they had a strong bond and were “artistic compatriots, they were lovers, and they were fighters.”
She pointed out that there were difficulties in their relationship. “They could have their knockdown, drag-out fights, but they always came clinging back to each other,” Melissa said. “Which is amazing in Hollywood—that they managed to navigate this relationship.”
She continued by remembering Paul’s happiness as a grandfather. She revealed that playing in the sandbox with her kids was one of her favorite memories. “You’ve never seen anybody so happy as my dad in a sandbox,” she continued.
The tale of Paul and Joanne has persisted in motivating younger generations. Paul’s posthumous memoir, “The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man,” and the 2022 documentary “The Last Movie Stars,” which was directed by Ethan Hawke, both examined their friendship.
Paul is still regarded as one of Hollywood’s most renowned actors years after his death. Among the movies he starred in were “Cool Hand Luke,” “The Hustler,” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” And his influence goes much beyond Hollywood.
His love for generosity became a defining characteristic of his final years. He co-founded the food firm Newman’s Own in 1982, which contributes all of its proceeds to worthy causes.
It has given more than $250 million to organizations that aided in medical research, education, and children by 2006. Paul also founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, an initiative to provide a joyful and adventurous environment for kids with life-threatening illnesses.
“Paul had a deep belief in the role of luck and its randomness in one’s life,” said Robert Forrester, vice-chairman of the Newman’s Own Foundation. In keeping with his nature, he discreetly committed himself to assisting in rebalancing this disparity.
Known for being one of the most admired actresses of her period, Joanne will turn 95 on February 27, 2025. She received an Academy Award throughout her career for “The Three Faces of Eve.”
She later starred in critically acclaimed movies like “Mr. & Mrs. Bridge,” “Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams,” and “Rachel, Rachel.” Paul and Joanne won four Emmys and two Academy Awards together.
Melissa remembered how much her father admired Joanne’s acting career. “He really felt like my mother was the most important,” she stated. “As far as being an actor, he placed my mother above him as an actor till the day he died, I think.”
“They respected each other and laughed more than any couple I have ever known,” Clea once said of their love. Joanne Woodward’s memories have been lost to Alzheimer’s, but their shared existence endures through their children, their films, and the innumerable individuals they impacted.
