Goldie Hawn has finally opened up about her secret medical issues. She concerned viewers when she appeared at the 2025 Oscars to present the Best Animated Short categories and Best Animated Feature Film categories alongside actor Andrew Garfield. Garfield held onto Hawn’s hands protectively while they took the stage. He also needed to read from the teleprompter for her because of her poor eyesight. She said, “Can you, sweetheart, could you read that? I can’t read it. I’m visually impaired due to cataracts.
The whole world learned about Hawn’s struggles after this majorly televised award show, and while Andrew Garfield was happy to help her and the night moved on, the public hasn’t forgotten about the big reveal. Despite many feeling sympathy for Goldie Hawn and wishing her well, some people reacted more critically to the news and had negative comments.
One person wondered why she didn’t have corrective surgery for cataracts, adding, “She has had plenty of other procedures done.” Another wrote, “I thought the whole cataracts thing was a bit cringe. My dad had cataracts and he managed not to make a drama about it, but Goldie here acting like she’s dying.”
Those who are critical of the actor’s condition should have more compassion for her issues. Based on information from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, cataracts occur when vision declines due to cloudy lenses. Although it develops slowly, it is an uncontrollable disorder that doesn’t just disrupt eyesight — it can completely diminish it if they’re not addressed promptly. Common cataract symptoms include double vision, light sensitivity, and blurred vision. Cataracts don’t always come out of nowhere. They can be caused by excessive sun exposure (wear sunglasses, people!), injury, and diabetes. As scary as this sounds, many surgical options exist to correct cataracts.
Goldie Hawn regrets revealing the diagnosis
Although it naturally came off the tongue at the Oscars, the actor apparently wishes she didn’t regret her health issues. And while Hawn’s issue might not exactly be life-threatening, it does undeniably affect her quality of life. A source who spoke to the Daily Mail after the show said that Hawn was embarrassed that people were so focused on her vision issues throughout her Oscar night that she didn’t want people to obsess over this piece of information. Instead, this insider said that she was trying to be funny with her offhand comment.
Fortunately, the actor is moving on from the moment in good spirits. After the award show, the star made light of the debacle and included a kind tribute to Andrew Garfield. Hawn’s son Oliver Hudson wrote on Instagram, “This was so touching and unexpected. Andrew that was beautiful my man. I cried, I laughed, I swelled with pride and then became concerned that my mom was now gonna love Andrew Garfield more than me.. I’m still not sure where I stand. She hasn’t responded to my texts so…. @goldiehawn.”
Hawn replied to her son, “I’m sorry I didn’t answer your texts honey, I was talking to Andrew!!!”
In the end, age affects us all — even celebrities. It’s clear that even though Goldie Hawn received mixed reactions following her very public confession, she still has a sense of humor about things, which is part of why she remains America’s sweetheart even though she’s not quite in the spotlight anymore