Anne Hathaway Reveals Medical Condition Left Her ‘Half-Blind’ For 10 Years

Anne Hathaway recently revealed that she was “legally blind” in one eye for nearly a decade due to an early-onset cataract.

Speaking on The New York Times’ podcast “Popcast,” Hathaway said the condition affected her throughout much of her 30s before she eventually underwent surgery.

“This is maybe too much information. I was half blind for 10 years—age 30 to 40,” Hathaway said.

The Oscar-winning actress added, “I had an early onset cataract, and it affected my vision so much that I was basically legally blind out of my left eye and I wound up getting surgery. And I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until I could finally see the full spectrum.”

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a cataract occurs when the eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy, causing blurry or hazy vision. Symptoms can include sensitivity to light, double vision and difficulty seeing at night. Cataracts are most commonly associated with aging, typically developing later in life, making Hathaway’s early-onset diagnosis relatively uncommon.

Hathaway said the condition also affected her mental health before surgery improved her vision.

“I’ve calmed down since then,” Hathaway said. “I didn’t realize it was actually taxing my nervous system.”

Reflecting on the surgery, she added, “I appreciate vision because I literally feel like every day I wake up and I get to see the way that I do. It’s a miracle.”

The comments came shortly after Hathaway addressed online speculation about possible cosmetic procedures following her appearance at the Oscars earlier this year.

In an interview with Elle, Hathaway denied rumors that she had undergone a facelift, explaining that her appearance was the result of a hairstyling technique.

“Also, by the way, these are huge medical decisions that people are presuming,” Hathaway said. “I wanted to show that like, no, I didn’t make a huge medical decision. It’s just two braids.”