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Owen Wilson Opens Up About His Dad’s Battle With Alzheimer’s Disease
When Owen Wilson returns home to his native Dallas, he loves seeing old friends, rooting for the Cowboys and visiting the house he grew up in.
His family has always been tight, but the star of Midnight in Paris and Meet the Parents has been checking in even more often since his dad, Bob Wilson, 74, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“When someone has advanced Alzheimer’s, it’s hard to have much of a relationship,” Owen, 46, shared with Closer at a screening of his new thriller, No Escape. “You just try to be supportive, although you never know how much is getting through.”
Owen and his dad, Bob, in December 2008.
With an estimated 5.3 million Americans afflicted by Alzheimer’s, a disease that erodes memory and thought function, Owen’s family is certainly not alone in their challenge — but it’s an emotional journey nonetheless.
“It’s a rough thing. If somebody had said 10 years ago that this was the position your dad’s going to be in, where he basically needs 24-hour care, you’d think, Gosh, I won’t be able to handle that,” he admits. “But it does happen and you just have to do your best to deal with it.”
To read the full story on Owen and his father, pick up the new issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now!
