Kimberly Williams-Paisley is speaking out following the news that her former co-star Danny Glover has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that holds personal significance for her after her late mother also passed away from the illness a decade ago.
The Hallmark actress, best known for her role in the “Darrow & Darrow” mystery series, reflected on working with Glover and described him as “so lovely” in a recent statement on social media shared after the news came out. She also noted that sharing a diagnosis like this is a brave step that can help raise awareness for the disease.
Williams-Paisley worked with Glover in 2017 when they starred together alongside Dermot Mulroney and Joan Cusack in the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie “The Christmas Train.”
Williams-Paisley Praises Glover for Speaking Out About His Diagnosis
“I worked with Danny on a movie and found him to be so lovely,” Williams-Paisley wrote in her Instagram Story from July 1 following the news of Glover’s diagnosis. “Sharing a diagnosis like this is brave and really helpful to raise awareness. Sending him and his family my love!”
Williams-Paisley added the hashtag “#endalz” to her Story, which was a repost of the exclusive story from TODAY that broke the news.
“I’m sure as it advances, things are going to be different and changing,” Glover said during the interview he and his family did with Lester Holt that aired July 1.
“They’ve got my back,” the actor said about his family.
Glover’s “movements, speech and memories” have slowed since being diagnosed in 2023, according to TODAY. However, the actor claimed that he could still “live with it,” in reference to his condition, as he continues to attend events and engage with his community in San Francisco.
“I think it’s really important for him to have control of his own narrative, of his own life story,” Glover’s daughter, Mandisa, said during the interview. “That’s really important. And the time is now. What better time but now for him to speak for himself?”
Williams-Paisley’s statement followed a heartfelt message she shared just earlier that day about her late mother, who passed away ten years ago from Alzheimer’s disease. “June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, a disease that took our mom ten years ago,” she wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. She was also promoting The Dance Party to End ALZ, which is a fundraiser she founded to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association research grant program.
“Research shows that when you exercise your heart, you exercise your brain, and so we dance, every chance we get,” Williams-Paisley continued. “I started a Dance Party years ago to raise money for much needed research, and thankfully my sister [Ashley Williams] and [Nikki DeLoach] took up the mantle when I had to step down to focus on our nonprofit [The Store].”
Williams & DeLoach Will Host the Dance to End ALZ Event This Year
The description of The Dance Party to End ALZ reads, “Ashley Williams and Nikki DeLoach will take the stage in Los Angeles to host the Dance Party to End ALZ, the Pajama Party edition! This energetic and inspiring event supports the Alzheimer’s Association’s research grant program, raising critical funds to advance scientific breakthroughs. Grab your fuzzy slippers and sleep masks and come dance the night away as artists perform their favorite hits, all for an incredible cause,” per the official website.
The 2026 Dance Party Committee consists of Williams-Paisley along with her sister and DeLoach, who will serve as co-hosts. The Host Committee is led by another familiar face: Andrew Walker and his wife, Cassandra Troy. Walker’s mother also passed away in early 2023 following a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s, according to PEOPLE.
The event will take place on September 13, 2026 in Los Angeles. As revealed in the description of the event, this year’s Dance Party to End ALZ theme is a pajama party.
Since 2017, the Dance Party to End ALZ has raised over $1.8 million to fund Alzheimer’s and dementia research, according to the “Our Impact” page on their official website.
To attend the Dance Party to End ALZ, you can purchase tables and tickets or become an event sponsor online here.
