Ted Turner Reveals He Has Lewy Body Dementia (Video)

CNN founder tells Ted Koppel he was originally misdiagnosed as manic depressive

Turner Broadcasting creator Ted Turner reveals he is battling Lewy body dementia in an interview with Ted Koppel for “CBS Sunday Morning.”

Lewy body dementia is a progressive brain disorder that affects memory and other cognitive functions. Turner says he is “tired,” “exhausted” and deals with “forgetfulness.” Lewy body dementia is a disease actor Robin Williams suffered from before his death, the late actor’s wife said.

The CNN founder said he was originally misdiagnosed as manic depressive.

“It’s a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer’s. It’s similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer’s is fatal,” Turner tells Koppel in the CBS News interview. “Thank goodness I don’t have that. But, I also have got, let’s — the one that’s — I can’t remember the name of it.”

After a pause, Turner adds, “Dementia. I can’t remember what my disease is.”

Read more from the interview here. Watch a snippet via the video above.

Also during his conversation with Koppel, Turner suggested CNN is perhaps “stickin’ with politics a little too much” these days.

“They’d do better to have — a more balanced agenda,” the cable news channel’s creator added. “But that’s, you know, just one person’s opinion.”

Finally, Turner says ex-wife Jane Fonda talked him out of running for president of the United States. “When I discussed it with her — she was married to one politician,” Turner said. “And she said, you know, ‘If you run for, for office, you run alone.’”

“CBS Sunday Morning” airs Sundays from 9 a.m. ET to 10:30 a.m. ET on CBS.

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