{"id":2421448,"date":"2026-05-18T07:58:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T07:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2421448"},"modified":"2026-05-18T07:58:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T07:58:56","slug":"actor-russell-andrews-has-als-fiancee-to-be-his-caretaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/actor-russell-andrews-has-als-fiancee-to-be-his-caretaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Actor Russell Andrews Has ALS, Fiancee to Be His Caretaker"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

Actor Russell Andrews<\/strong> announced that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a person living with ALS. I was diagnosed in the late fall of last year. It\u2019s been humbling,\u201d Andrews, 64, said during a Saturday, May 16, appearance on celebrity.land\u2019s The Story Is with Elex Michaelson<\/em><\/a> alongside his fianc\u00e9e, actress Erica Tazel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Andrews, whose credits include roles in Straight Outta Compton<\/em> and Better Call Saul<\/em>, said he first experienced symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease, which affects the brain and spinal cord, during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I had a stroke during COVID. It was a stressful time,\u201d he said, adding that his health issues were compounded by the fact that he was unable to work during the pandemic, as well as the 2023 SAG-AFTRA<\/a> and Writers Guild of America strikes.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>What Is ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease? Eric Dane\u2019s Health Battle Explained<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis is more commonly known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease. Grey\u2019s Anatomy alum Eric Dane announced in April 2025 that he had been diagnosed with the nervous system disease. \u201cI have been diagnosed with ALS,\u201d the actor shared in a statement. \u201cI am grateful to have my loving family by my side [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThere were moments there were twitches. There were things that I thought I was having pinched nerves in my neck and they were quite frequent,\u201d he explained. \u201cI was not able to do things that I normally do. I was dropping cups and glasses, and in the night, it felt like things were running up and down my arm at different times, and it was the nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>, \u201cALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing, or slurred speech. Eventually ALS affects the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease, but research into new therapies is ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n

celebrity.land reported that Tazel, whose credits include a role on the hit show Justified<\/em>, is stepping into the role of caretaker for her fianc\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe processing is a process. When he originally shared with me, I say I was uncharacteristically calm,\u201d Tazel, 49, said. \u201cIn a way, it was an answer to a lot of questions that we had. There were certain things that we started to see that were different. For example, it took him longer to clean the pool. The way he walked, there was a subtle little [change] \u2026 things like that. I had questions. I was like, \u2018Something is definitely wrong,\u2019 and so we now know what it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\"Celebs<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Celebrities Who Have Battled ALS: Eric Dane, Stephen Hawking and More<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\tFrom Lou Gehrig in 1939 to Eric Dane in 2025, celebrities have publicly dealt with what is now known as ALS for decades. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease, is a terminal neurodegenerative disorder. The disease causes the individual to gradually lose control of their muscles, beginning gradually with muscle stiffness or [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tazel told celebrity.land anchor Elex Michaelson<\/strong> that she has learned \u201cthere are cases\u201d where love \u201cis truly unconditional,\u201d as she has stood by Andrews\u2019 side.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he shared the news with me, again, there was not a sigh of relief, but some understanding of what was happening, and I looked at him across the room, and I said, \u2018At least now we know what it is and I still want to be your wife,\u2019\u201d the actress said.<\/p>\n

Andrews, Tazel and his family have also received support from the ALS Network, which advocates for the detection, treatment and cure of the disease.<\/p>\n

Andrews\u2019 reveal on Saturday comes amid ALS Awareness Month, which takes place during the month of May.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\"\"
\n\t\"\"<\/p>\n