For years the comedic actress has been denying that she's suffering from the debilitating illness, fearing it may have a negative impact on her career. Now, Garr has not only decided to come forward and admit she has multiple sclerosis, but she has signed on to speak out on behalf of MS Lifelines, a patient service and support program.
Garr, who is now a "a paid ambassador" for MS Lifelines (which is funded by Serono and Pfizer, the companies that produce drugs used to treat the illness) held a press conference Wednesday in New York to reveal she has been battling MS for nearly 20 years.
"I didn't tell people because I didn't want pity and I was afraid I wouldn't get work," Garr said. "But others with MS need to know they are not alone. We don't have to be victims."
Garr said she first noticed symptoms 19 years ago. "I started to trip--not on acid, let me make that clear--in 1983 when I used to jog in Central Park, and I went to a doctor," Garr recounted. The doctor wanted to operate, so she she got a second opinion and ended up being hospitalized and pumped full of valium.
Nearly a decade later, the weakness surfaced again in her right foot. "It took about 10 years [for this disease] to hone in," she said.
Prior to her announcement, the 52-year-old Garr had repeatedly denied she suffered from MS. Her most overt acknowledgment of her illness has been her annual participation in the Race to Erase MS, a benefit for the Nancy Davis Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, and her appearance alongside MS sufferer Montel Williams and medical experts on a panel discussing possible cures and treatment.
In a 1994 interview with TV Guide, Garr flat-out said she did not have multiple sclerosis. She said the "rumors" started after she visited an MS specialist because she was suffering from excruciating back pain and immobility on her right side--symptoms she said were eventually diagnosed as a degenerative disc problem in her neck and spine. Garr said she talked about her fears of MS while getting her hair done and claimed the story was spread by Hollywood's "hairdresser mafia."
She couldn't shake the speculation, however. When Garr played Phoebe's mother a few years ago on Friends, fans noticed her favoring one side and the MS whispers began anew. But her spokesperson told People magazine in 1999 that Garr "has never been diagnosed with MS. She has degenerative discs with spurs on her neck and spine."
The rep went on to say that Garr had been wearing a brace to help treat the back problems.
The incessant rumors, Garr said Wednesday, "kind of put the kibosh on me getting work. I think it scared a lot of people. They wouldn't ever see me for a part, which was not fair."
She now sees herself in the activist role similar to Michael J. Fox and Christopher Reeve. "I would like to go to Congress and talk about stem cell research," said Garr. "If I could help people, I'd feel good."
She's also trying to convince others who may have symptoms to not shy away from seeking treatment. "It's my hope people will become more proactive and go to a doctor," Garr said.
A former dancer, Garr hit the big time in Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein in which she costarred as Inga. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Sandy in the cross-gender comedy Tootsie. Other notable credits include the George Burns comedy Oh, God, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Black Stallion, Mr. Mom and even an episode of the original Star Trek. She's also been a frequent guest on David Letterman's various late-night shows.
MS is a degenerative disorder that afflicts upwards of 300,000 Americans, including comic Richard Pryor, Mouseketeer alum Annette Funicello and David Lander, aka Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley. Symptoms include back and torso pain, double vision and reduced motor functions. While there is no cure, MS can be treated with drugs and is rarely life-threatening.
Garr, who's taking medication to slow her symptoms, added, "It's time to come out and raise some awareness, raise some hope. MS is not fatal...and not the end of the world."
(Originally published 10/8/02 at 4 p.m. PT.)