Kathleen Turner made a rare public appearance in New York City this week, months after stepping away from the spotlight due to health concerns. The 70-year-old actress appeared frail as she leaned on a walker while being assisted into a waiting vehicle.
The Body Heat star was dressed in a long, dark overcoat over a blue sweater, black pants, and sneakers, looking simple during the outing. This marks one of her few public appearances since she withdrew from a theater production last summer due to health issues.
Kathleen Turner is seen leaning on a walker amid her health issues
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Kathleen Turner has been open about her battle with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects joints and organs. She was diagnosed in the early 1990s, at the height of her Hollywood career. The condition and its treatments influenced her lifestyle and appearance, leading her to stop taking leading roles. Last summer, Turner was performing in A Little Night Music at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine when she fell ill on stage. The audience reported that she appeared to forget her lines and slur her words before suddenly leaving the performance. She was unable to complete the show’s final two performances and was subsequently replaced in her role as Madame Armfeldt.
Kathleen Turner rose to fame with the movie Body Heat (1981) and appeared in other notable films, including Romancing the Stone (1984), Prizzi’s Honor (1985), and Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), which earned her an Academy Award nomination. Turner has also made notable television appearances in Friends (2001), Law & Order (2006), Californication (2009), The Kominsky Method (2019, 2021), and most recently, White House Plumbers (2023), alongside Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux.
Health challenge
Turner’s struggle with rheumatoid arthritis led to years of chronic pain, and she admitted to turning to alcohol to ease the pain. In an interview, she recalled choosing alcohol over drugs and medications because she thought she might get addicted.
However, she later realized the toll this was taking on her family, especially her daughter. Determined to regain control, she checked herself into rehab and has since been open about her journey to recovery. New treatments eventually helped put her arthritis into remission, allowing her to return to acting on a more regular basis.