Goldie Hawn shares eye condition 'reveal' live on stage at Oscars: 'I'm completely blind'
Goldie Hawn asked Andrew Garfield to step in and help her read the autocue at last night’s Oscars after appearing to say she had the common eye condition, cataracts.
The 79-year-old actor was presenting the award for Best Animated Feature Film with Garfield, but seemed to stop part way through her scripted speech to suggest she was unable to read what was written on the autocue.
"I was so lucky [to] make movies... and making people laugh," Hawn began. "And maybe some didn't, but that's OK.
"In the meantime," she continued, before suddenly pausing and turning to her co-presenter, Garfield.
"Sweetheart, can you read that. I can't read that," she said. "I'm completely blind. I mean, I am!" she added, before appearing to share the cause of her vision issues: "Cataracts."
Garfield then stepped in to help, responding: "OK, I've got you."
It's likely that Hawn was joking about having cataracts, particularly as she seemed to be able to read parts of the teleprompter at the start and end of her on-stage appearance.
If Hawn were to be living with the condition, however, she certainly wouldn’t be alone, with over 400,000 cataract surgeries performed every year in England.
According to the NHS cataracts happen when the lens, a small transparent disc inside your eye, develops cloudy patches.
"Over time these patches usually become bigger causing blurry, misty vision and eventually blindness," the site explains.
"When we're young, our lenses are usually like clear glass, allowing us to see through them. As we get older, they start to become frosted, like bathroom glass, and begin to limit our vision."
The health services advises you should see an optician if you have any of these symptoms:
your eyesight is blurred or misty
you find lights too bright or glaring
you find it harder to see in low light
colours look faded
If your cataracts are not too bad, stronger glasses and brighter reading lights may help for a while, but as cataracts get worse over time, you may eventually need surgery to remove and replace the affected lens.
Surgery is the only treatment that's proven to be effective for cataracts.
Before Hawn's apparent health admission Garfield had delivered one of the most touching moments of the ceremony.
The Amazing Spider-Man star, 41, took his co-presenter by surprise when he brought her to tears as he revealed the special impact she had on his late mother, who died in 2019 after a battle with cancer.
Garfield told the Private Benjamin star: "Goldie, can I tell you something really quickly? There is a person who gave my mother during her life the most joy and comfort – and tonight, I feel very lucky because I get to thank that person from the bottom of my heart. That person is Goldie Hawn.
"You've given us movies full of joy," he continued. "You've lifted our spirits and you've made us feel it all was right with the world, over and over again."
Goldie appeared to fight back tears as she told the actor: "Thank you so much, that really touches me."
Earlier, Hawn had made an appearance on the red carpet with her long-time partner Kurt Russell. Hawn looked effortlessly glamorous in a gold, strapless gown, while her partner opted for a classic tux.
The couple, who have been together for over 40 years, offered proof love can last as they laughed and joked together while posing for photographers.
Although Russell and Hawn have made headlines over the years for their decision not to marry, it is clear their relationship is solid.
"She is always my priority," Russell previously said of his partner. "We’re 'of the moment' people. We just kind of say, 'What do you feel like? What do you want to do? Do you want to watch something?'"
Hawn has previously shared "good sex" is the secret to her 40+ year relationship with Russell.
"You have to have good sex," she told E! "Because sex is something that connects you and creates more belonging. “People who have healthy sexual relationships usually last a lot longer.
"It’s not just because of the act, it’s because of the warmth and the intimacy that it creates."
But Hawn also stressed intimacy was not enough on its own to keep a relationship alive in the long-term, adding: "You have to be nice to each other upon occasion."
Read more about the Oscars:
The best-dressed stars on the Oscars red carpet (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
Oscars winner Kieran Culkin reveals baby plans during acceptance speech (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
How to watch the Oscar-nominated films (Yahoo Entertainment UK, 9-min read)
