The View cohost Ana Navarro has revealed that her husband, Al Cárdenas, has been living with Parkinson’s disease after the couple kept the diagnosis private for more than two years.
Navarro, 54, shared the deeply personal news Monday in a video clip from her Bleep! With Ana Navarro podcast posted to her Instagram account.
“With Al’s consent, I am publicly discussing his Parkinson’s diagnosis, in hopes it helps destigmatize the disease and helps others going through a similar journey,” Navarro wrote alongside the clip.
She said Cárdenas, 78, was diagnosed more than two years ago and that close friends and relatives had known about his condition, but the couple previously chose to keep it out of the public eye.
“I had kept [this] private for the last couple of years,” Navarro said in the video, explaining that the family has been learning how to adjust to both the physical and emotional challenges that come with Parkinson’s.
Navarro went into considerably more detail during the full Sept. 14 episode of her podcast, titled “Ana, Unfiltered: Parkinson’s and the Fight Ahead.”
The View star said there had been warning signs before her husband was diagnosed, including instability while walking, stiffness and hand tremors.
She also acknowledged that there was initially some hesitation about confronting what those symptoms could mean before Cárdenas was eventually evaluated.
Despite the diagnosis, Navarro emphasized that her husband continues to live an active life.
She said Cárdenas still exercises and is working on a book, stressing that the couple does not want people treating him differently simply because he has Parkinson’s.
“We don’t want pity,” Navarro said while explaining why the couple had kept the condition private for so long.
Their decision to finally speak publicly was partly inspired by singer Carly Simon, whose own disclosure about living with Parkinson’s struck a chord with Navarro and Cárdenas.
Navarro said the couple discussed whether her public platform could help reduce the stigma surrounding the condition and help other families dealing with similar circumstances.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disorder that can cause tremors, stiffness, problems with balance and other movement-related symptoms.
More than 1 million Americans are living with the disease, according to figures cited by Navarro and Parkinson’s organizations.
There is currently no cure, although medication, exercise and other therapies can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Navarro and Cárdenas have been married since 2019 and live in Miami.
Cárdenas is an attorney and longtime political figure who previously served as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.
Navarro said the couple’s decision to finally share the diagnosis was ultimately about showing that Parkinson’s may change someone’s life without becoming the entirety of it.
For those wanting to hear her account in her own words, Navarro’s Instagram video and full podcast episode provide the most direct look at what the couple has been experiencing.
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