Liza Minnelli doesn’t have Parkinson’s disease, even though her health has been plagued by issues ranging from substance abuse and brain injuries to broken bones. Fortunately, she hasn’t been diagnosed with any neurodegenerative illness yet, and hopefully will never be. Still, Liza’s health has remained a cause for concern to all who love her.
The EGOT winner has been a showgirl for over 7 decades. Her spectacular singing, dancing, and acting talents have crowned her as one of the most successful actresses ever, a feat rivaled only by her mother—the quintessential Judy Garland.
What is Wrong with Liza Minnelli?
There is no doubt that Liza Minnelli is one of the most accomplished entertainers alive, but her health has left a lot to be desired. She has been reported to be suffering from health issues like substance and alcohol abuse which she was admitted for. Later, she was diagnosed with viral encephalitis and hiatal hernia, both of which she was being treated for.
Liza has also suffered multiple broken bones and miscarriages, among many other health scares. Beginning as far back as 2000, these issues have left the present 76-year-old star very frail, as her body has only gotten consistently weaker.
At some point, Liza revealed that she once lost all ability to walk and talk, explaining that she came face-to-face with death during those times. In 2007, the showgirl underwent jawbone reconstruction surgery for cosmetic reasons. In 2013, she was back in the theater, this time to fix her two broken wrists.
In 2014, Minnelli had to be admitted again after her lower back was broken. The unfortunate incident occurred after a stage dog jumped on her during a set rehearsal. Liza recovered fully from all her broken bones, but this wasn’t by far the end of her health nightmares.
The Cabaret star still went on to suffer three miscarriages in 2005, 2006, and 2008 respectively. The last miscarriage was induced after a failed caesarian section and left her with a hiatal hernia. In a 2008 interview with The Guardian newspaper, Minnelli told the interviewer that she could no longer eat before performing due to the hernia.
This is because a hiatal hernia causes the stomach to swell up, causing the protrusion to push against the diaphragm. This makes it extremely painful because the diaphragm is one of the most important muscles for singing.
All these issues combined have contributed to Lisa Minnelli’s increased absence from the stage and the public sphere in general. The singer almost stopped making singing appearances, except for a few very important gigs. While her health has affected her career, Liza Minnelli has proven that it would take more than a few health scares to get her to quit.
Why Is Liza Minnelli in a Wheelchair?
Liza Minnelli started using a wheelchair to get around after she was diagnosed with a deadly brain disease. The accident-prone actress and singer escaped death severally after her body took several serious hits. But recently, many rumors surfaced, saying she was down with Parkinson’s disease. This came after Liza experienced a very scary episode called viral encephalitis.
The disease causes inflammation of the brain and is caused by an infection. It could also be triggered as an autoimmune response. In Liza’s case, she contracted the virus after she was bitten by an infected mosquito. The relatively rare disease comes with symptoms like seizures, deliriousness, poor sight and hearing, and loss of motor skills. At first, the doctors thought Liza had come down with a stroke.
However, after she collapsed in her house with one side of her body fully paralyzed, they ran further tests on her before she was diagnosed with the dangerous illness. The doctors further predicted that she would need to be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. While Liza can walk short distances, she mostly relies on the wheelchair to move around.
Liza Minnelli’s Health Problems
The EGOT winner’s name is now synonymous with ill health, although it is no fault of hers. One of her biggest health issues is her substance addiction. According to Minnelli herself, her addiction was hereditary, passed down from her equally famous mother, Judy Garland—who coincidentally passed away from an accidental barbiturate overdose. Liza’s problems began after her mother’s death, as she resorted to alcohol and painkillers to deal with the grief.
She reportedly abused mind-altering drugs like Valium, Mandrax, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. Between 1992 and 2005, Minnelli was admitted into rehab five times, but she relapsed every time. In 2008, she made a heartfelt confession stating that she had battled addiction for nearly her entire life but maintained that she had always remembered to ask for help.
Liza Minnelli’s final attempt at rehabilitation was in 2015. She reportedly joined a popular support group called ‘Alcohol Anonymous’ and was admitted into a private rehabilitation center. The good news is that Liza has remained sober for nearly seven years since her last rehab trip.
Is Liza Minnelli Still Alive?
Liza Minnelli is alive, despite all the odds against her health. The actress has taken the concerns of her admirers about her health seriously, and from time to time, she chooses to bless the public with a public appearance.
In March 2014, Liza Minnelli shut all the haters up when she appeared in a sizzling blue pantsuit at the Oscar Awards in California. Fans were quick to note that she was glowing, despite all the stories that claimed otherwise.
In recent times, however, Liza Minnelli’s perhaps most controversial public appearance yet was at the 2022 Oscars. Although her appearance was greatly overshadowed by the infamous Will Smith debacle, observant fans couldn’t help but notice how particularly unwell Minnelli appeared to be when she was to present the Oscar Award for Best Picture alongside actress and singer Lady Gaga.
What stood out the most about the awkward award presentation was that her speech was a little slurred, and she had to be gently reminded of the names of the nominees by Gaga. She was also seated in a wheelchair throughout the presentation. Concerned fans were understandably unhappy about the Academy’s decision to let an unwell woman present an award on live television.
Minnelli herself was unhappy with the Academy’s arrangement as well. Her reason was that she had expected to have been seated in a more comfortable director’s chair as opposed to the clinical wheelchair she was eventually seated in. Minnelli reportedly called the entire situation sabotage since she’d clearly explained that she didn’t want to appear frail in front of the people.
