Lauren Weedman Embraces Bell's Palsy, New Normal

0:00On April 9th, actress Lauren Weedman just opened up about living with permanent nerve damage from Bell's palsy. The 57-year-old got diagnosed back in August 2024, and at the Los Angeles premiere of HBO's Hacks, Season 5 on April 8th. She shared that her smile won't fully come back. She's owning it now, telling folks she's accepted this new normal. It hit her heart at first that sudden facial weakness on one side. Weedman admitted she was secretly sad for a while, struggling to process it as a chronic thing. Her physical therapist had to drill it in, that it wasn't going away, and she linked it to aging, saying it's all part of not looking exactly like before. Support poured in from unexpected places. Actor Joe Mantegna, who's dealt with the same damage since 88, told her at a party to embrace her face as is. Even her son Leo lightened up, calling in her Bell's palsy era, no big deal. Her work-life adapted too, shows like Hacks, Abbott Elementary, and Sirens, rode the

1:00condition right into her characters. She gave big props to the Hacks team for booking her anyway, no questions asked. Weedman's outlook feels stronger these days, turning challenge into character on screen and off. With Hacks Season 5 dropping on HBO Max, April 9th, she's proof resilience rhymes with real talk. Stay in the know with entertainment and celebrity news today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey with The Story.