Couples
Henry Winkler Candidly Recalls Struggles During Wife’s Breast Cancer Battle: ‘I Wasn’t There’
During his successful run as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on Happy Days, Henry Winkler met and married his wife, Stacey Weitzman. While their marriage has withstood the test of time, the Emmy winner admitted to overcoming some major challenges along the way.
Stacey, 75, was diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 2000s. At the time, Henry, 77, had just landed the role of Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development. Faced with internal struggles of his own, the Better Late Than Never star admitted to feeling a bit withdrawn during his wife’s health journey.
“I went to her chemotherapy infusions, but my support consisted of falling asleep in the chair,” he recalled in a September 2023 interview with AARP. “I was not there. I’m not proud of that.”
After Stacey was declared cancer-free, Henry decided to undergo therapy to manage trauma from his childhood and other life events.
“I had covered that up with a Chernobyl-like layer of cement and let it sit,” he said. “I’ve spent years digging in, jackhammering that cement into small pieces.”
Now, the couple are parents to kids Max and Zoe, as well as Stacey’s son Jed from her first marriage. They’re also grandparents to several adorable grandchildren.
“I love being a grandparent,” Henry gushed to Closer in May 2017. “I thoroughly enjoy myself. We spoil them with love.”
With more than 150 acting credits to the family man’s name, Henry has no plans to quit acting any time soon.
“I have my work and writing,” the Barry actor shared. “When will the switch flip? When will the dial turn me down? I still have the energy.”
He’s always looked back at the difficulties faced in his past as a lesson to stay strong even in times of adversity.
“You never know what is around the corner so just keep your spirit because it all works out,” he told the crowd at the 2019 SAG Awards. “There were times when I had a hard time right after Happy Days for about nine years — I couldn’t really be an actor. So then I became a producer and we did McGuyver. But acting is my first love so you just stay and keep your spirit up!”
As a pillar of wisdom in Hollywood, Henry dished out some great advice that he and his loved ones live by.
“Don’t think about what you don’t have,” he said. “Embrace and enjoy what’s in front of you.”
