Anne Hathaway opened up about a private health battle, revealing she lived with an early onset cataract that left her “legally blind” in one eye throughout her 30s.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 actress shared the story during an appearance on The New York Times’ podcast Popcast, explaining that the condition lasted for ten years before she underwent surgery.
“I was half blind for 10 years,” Hathaway said, noting that her vision had deteriorated so much she didn’t realize how impaired it was until after surgery.
“It impacted my vision so much that I was basically legally blind out of my left eye,” she added.
Hathaway admitted the condition affected her nervous system, adding, “I’ve calmed down since then. I didn’t realize it was actually taxing my nervous system.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, cataracts cloud the lens of the eye, making vision resemble “looking through a frosty or fogged up window.”
Clouded vision can make it difficult to read, drive at night, or recognize facial expressions.
Hathaway described her restored sight as a “miracle.”
She shared, “I literally feel like every day, I wake up and I get to see the way that I do, it’s a miracle. Two generations back, that wouldn’t have been an option for someone like me.”
