What health condition does Goldie Hawn have? Actress seeks Andrew Garfield's help at Oscars 2025

Hollywood veteran Goldie Hawn opened up about suffering from cataracts while presenting alongside Andrew Garfield at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2, 2025. The health update from the 79-year-old star reportedly left audiences stunned as it was the first time she addressed her health condition in front of a massive audience.

Cataract is clouding of the lens of the eye, which mostly develops slowly and eventually impairs vision. The condition usually occurs as a natural result of aging, or when an injury changes the tissue that makes up the lens.

Cataract treatment involves lens replacement surgery, which involves removing the cloudy lens of the eye with an artificial lens. Some people who have health issues such as advanced macular degeneration, a detached retina, or corneal diseases such as glaucoma may not be able to get this surgery.

In the case of Hawn, the condition stopped her from reading off the teleprompter at the Dolby Theatre soon after she and Garfield began presenting the awards for Best Animated Short and Best Animated Feature categories.

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Goldie Hawn makes light of her cataract on the Oscars stage

On Sunday night, Goldie Hawn was visibly struggling to make out the words on the teleprompter while on stage alongside Andrew Garfield. Instead of trying to hide her discomfort, she gracefully asked for help from the younger star, who stepped up without missing a beat.

"OK. Sweetheart, can you read that? I can't read that," Goldie told Garfield on stage, going off the script. "I'm completely blind. I mean, I am! Cataracts.”

The Amazing Spider-Man actor quickly took over and held her hand as they stood at the podium together. Making the most of the heartwarming moment, Garfield also announced how honored he was to share the stage with the Protocol star.

"Goldie, can I tell you something really quickly? There is a person who gave my mother during her life the most joy and comfort – and tonight, I feel very lucky because I get to thank that person from the bottom of my heart. That person is Goldie Hawn.”

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Goldie Hawn champions mental health issues

Hawn had been candid about prioritizing mental health. In 2003, she founded MindUP under the Goldie Hawn Foundation to battle the rising cases of mental health issues in children, such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and suic*de.

At CNN's Life Itself conference in 2022, Hawn stressed the importance of raising mental health awareness at an early age. She insisted that humans must come to terms with their everyday stress and problems instead of ignoring them.

Hawn is supported in her work by her partner, actor Kurt Russell. The couple has been together since 1983 without getting married.