Michael J Fox’s wife asked brutal question as he turned to drink amid Parkinson’s agony

Michael J Fox opens up about his Parkinson’s diagnosis

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Michael J Fox, 61, first opened up about his battle with Parkinson’s back in 1998 after first developing the condition in the early 1990s. Following his diagnosis, the Back To The Future star turned to alcohol to “numb the pain”.

However, drinking heavily only caused him more problems and the actor says that the “body impulses” he feels as a result of his Parkinson’s are “nothing” compared to the effects of alcohol addiction.

Reflecting on when he was drinking heavily, Michael told comedian Mike Birbiglia on his Working It Out podcast: “I couldn’t be still… I couldn’t gauge what that centre of my equilibrium was.

“The peripatetic wanderings, and weird flailing and body impulses that I feel as a Parkinson’s patient – a sober Parkinson’s patient – are nothing compared to what I felt as a drunk.

“I mean, that was a completely different thing that I couldn’t be still.”

Michael eventually knew he had to seek help when his wife, Tracy Pollan, 62, proposed a brutal question when she discovered him passed out in their living room.

The star said that Tracy found him on their sofa with a can of beer spilled all over the floor.

She reportedly asked him: “Is this what you want? This is what you want to be?”

Two years later, Michael sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous and quit drinking altogether.

Michael and Tracy have been married since 1988 after meeting on the set of Family Ties.

In an earlier interview, Michael emotionally discussed how Tracy reacted to his diagnosis.

Appearing on the TODAY show in 2020, he recalled: “We didn’t know what to expect. One of the things I’ll always love Tracy for is that at that moment, she didn’t blink.”

Host Willie Geist then asked: “And she hasn’t since, has she?”

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To which Michael tearfully replied: “No…it’s really great to have a partner.”

The love between Michael and Tracy is clearly still going strong almost 35 years since they got married.

Last month, Tracy penned a gushing tribute to her husband and dubbed him the “best dad ever” on Father’s Day.

Michael and Tracy have four children: Sam, 33, Aquinnah, 27, Schuyler, 27, and Esmé, 20.

She wrote alongside a selection of snaps: “Happy Father’s Day @realmikejfox Another thing you have mastered, best dad ever!!! I love you.”

Since his diagnosis with Parkinson’s, Michael has worked to raise awareness about the condition.

To acknowledge his work, the Marty McFly star will be awarded an honorary Oscar later this year.

In an announcement in June, The Academy’s president, David Rubin, said in a statement: “Michael J Fox’s tireless advocacy of research on Parkinson’s disease alongside his boundless optimism exemplifies the impact of one person in changing the future for millions.”

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