Paul Newman ‘has lung cancer’
FEARS were growing for Paul Newman last night following US magazine reports that the Hollywood legend is fighting lung cancer.
The double-Oscar winning star is said to have been diagnosed with the disease at New York’s Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, where he is an outpatient.
Two US publications claim the 83-year-old actor, a former chain-smoker, is under the care of a leading oncologist. One quotes a family member as saying: “It’s so awful. He’s dying.”
Last night a source who has known the family for years confirmed: “We have known he is seriously ill for several weeks but his loved ones are being very protective and saying very little.”
The veteran of more than 50 films, including classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Hustler and Cool Hand Luke, has been cancelling engagements. In the past six weeks he has dropped plans to direct Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men on stage at the Westport Country Playhouse near his home in Connecticut.
The star also scrubbed an appearance at a fund-raising event for the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, a charity he co-founded in 1988 to provide outdoor fun for children with life-threatening illnesses, and cancelled a “star guest” appearance on the CBS network’s flagship TV chat programme The Late Show With David Letterman.
Newman, who has raised more than £75million for charity through his range of organic Newman’s Own grocery products in the US, retired from acting in May last year, citing failing memory.
He is said to be especially upset that he was too sick to attend the children’s camp fundraiser.
Newman, who raced professionally until he was 70, made a rare public appearance at last month’s Indianapolis 500 race.
His second wife of 50 years, actress Joanne Woodward, 78, with whom he has three daughters, is said to be encouraging him to do the things he loves most.
