Michael J. Fox ‘would have forgiven’ wife Tracy Pollan for leaving him after Parkinson’s diagnosis

Michael J. Fox, right, and Tracy Pollan arrive for the world premiere of Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie at the Paramount Theatre during the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival on March 14, 2023. Photo / AP

Michael J. Fox has made an honest admission about his marriage to Tracy Pollan — and his wife’s determination to support him since his Parkinson’s diagnosis.

The actor was just 29 when he was first diagnosed, and since then Pollan has never left his side, with the pair celebrating 35 years of marriage in July this year.

But Fox has admitted his health battle has taken a toll on his wife, and revealed he would have “forgiven” her if she had chosen to “step out” of their relationship.

The 62-year-old Back to the Future star told CBS Mornings, “At any time she would have been forgiven to say, ‘I’m just gonna step out’. But, she didn’t do that.”

Fox continued, “I love Tracy obviously, and she’s an amazing person and has gone through a lot.

“I realise she has a life separate from me having Parkinson’s, from me being Alex Keaton or Marty McFly, she’s a person. I think that’s why it’s gone okay.

“She had indicated to me by saying, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. She was able to get me through it, and go through it with me. And she has for 35 years.”

The key to the success of their marriage, Fox said, is that they’ve made an effort to stay positive throughout his battle with the disease.

“The positivity is really sincere. I really feel it, and it’s genuine. But it’s hard fought and it’s hard won, I should say,” he admitted.

Fox underwent surgery in 2018 after doctors found a tumour near his spine, telling him at the time that he might never walk again.

But months of rehabilitation had him walking again. He broke his arm a few months later and has dealt with other injuries since, including a serious infection in his hand that had him “almost lose it”.

The actor recently revealed, “My hand got infected and then I almost lost it ... it was a tsunami of misfortune.”

In the past, Fox has admitted he doesn’t believe he will make it through another 20 years, despite his determination.

“You don’t die from Parkinson’s; you die with Parkinson’s,” he said.

“So I’ve been thinking of the mortality of it. I’m not going to be 80. I’m not going to 80.”