Danny Glover reveals Alzheimer’s diagnosis, says symptoms have slowed him

Danny Glover said he has been living with Alzheimer’s disease for years and that the illness has slowed his movements, speech and memories. The 79-year-old actor and activist, who turns 80 on July 22, said he was diagnosed about three years ago and decided to speak publicly now so he could control his own narrative. His daughter, Mandisa Glover, said that mattered to him.

He told TODAY and People that he is still active and still attends events in San Francisco, even as he processes the diagnosis. Glover said he feels supported by his family, but he also acknowledged the uncertainty ahead, telling TODAY that “things are going to be different and changing” as the disease advances. To People, he said he is “not accepting in my mind all parts of it,” while also saying he could live with it “in a sense.”

The Alzheimer’s Association says Glover is working with the organization and points to steps that can help people reduce risk or support brain health, including physical activity, controlling blood pressure and diabetes, sleeping well and staying socially connected. The group says cognitive decline can begin up to 15 years before a dementia diagnosis, a long window that can make early signs easy to miss and can leave families assuming memory lapses or slower speech are just part of aging.

Glover’s disclosure also puts a national spotlight on a disease that affects more than 7 million Americans over age 65. Black Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia as white Americans, and the Associated Press has reported that about 14% of Black Americans over 65 have Alzheimer’s, compared with 10% of white Americans. That same reporting found Black Americans are less likely to be correctly diagnosed and treated, a gap that can delay care even after symptoms begin to show.

For families watching a loved one’s memory, movement or speech change, Glover’s experience underscores how quietly Alzheimer’s can progress and how important it is to seek evaluation when the signs first appear.