After a New York City engagement, actress Kathleen Turner, famed for Body Heat and Romancing the Stone, raised health concerns.
Using a wheelchair and cane, the 70-year-old actress was seen out.
A rare public sighting of Turner, a prominent careerist, occurred in Manhattan on Tuesday.
She exited a car and entered an office building with a cane, wearing a black shirt, black slacks, a gray sweater, and black sneakers. After leaving the building, she was in a wheelchair, raising concerns about her health.
This sighting follows Turner’s recent illness-related exit from A Little Night Music.
Given her history of serious health conditions, the occurrence aroused health concerns.
Turner has spoken openly about her rheumatoid arthritis, a painful inflammatory condition that damages joints and organs. Her life changed when she was diagnosed with the ailment in the early 1990s, at the height of her career.
Turner remembered how her symptoms were unmistakable when her feet swollen to the point that she couldn’t fit into her shoes while filming Serial Mom in 1994.
“I couldn’t walk. In an interview with The Guardian, Turner said he couldn’t hold a glass. I could only climb steps on my butt, pushing myself. The pain is terrible since you can’t sit, lie, or stand to escape it.”
People don’t understand since it’s not life-threatening, she said. I’ll survive, but you’ll die.”
Turner admitted to drinking to cope with her illness: “It was incredibly stupid. I kept thinking, ‘I’m not taking pain medicines — they are addictive and dangerous.’ But a second or third vodka was fine.”
She soon realized: “I thought: ‘I am wasting my entire day with my daughter, with my husband, because I’d close myself down and drink.’” Turner entered recovery in 2002 and now only drinks sometimes.
Turner has kept working in Hollywood, albeit she has reduced her duties, despite her severe discomfort and many hurdles. She acknowledged that her health required her to shift from leading to supporting roles over time.
Turner acknowledged the challenges of living with rheumatoid arthritis but vowed to persevere. “Yes, but I wouldn’t accept. She said she was stubborn.
I recovered to my full strength. They told me I’d be wheelchair-bound forever. That was nearly 30 years ago. I look at my 30-year record and say, “Well, go to hell!”
Turner’s determination has maintained her in cinema and theater despite her health issues. Her recent public appearances and evident need for mobility aids have raised public concern for her condition.
Fans hope the popular actress, who has been open about her health and alcoholism, will continue to overcome her issues with the same bravery and strength she has shown throughout her career.