May 06, 2026
Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images
Ted Turner, pictured in 2000, spent the later years of his life living with Lewy body dementia, the second most common form of dementia. Turner died Wednesday at age 87.
Ted Turner, the cable mogul and philanthropist who died Wednesday at 87, spent the final years of his life living with a progressive brain disorder known as Lewy body dementia.
Turner's family did not disclose the cause of his death. Turner, who created CNN in 1980, had revealed his Lewy body diagnosis during a 2018 interview with CBS News. At the time, he said his main symptoms were fatigue and forgetfulness.
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Lewy body dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease, affecting roughly 1.4 million people in the United States.
People with Lewy body dementia have many of the physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease, including tremors, muscle rigidity and loss of body functions, such as bladder control. Lewy body dementia also may cause visual hallucinations, as well as memory and cognitive issues and mood instability, the Mayo Clinic says.
Other symptoms may include:
• Sleep issues, specifically rapid eye movement sleep disorder that causes people to act out their dreams, sometimes kicking and punching
• Drowsiness and long naps
• Disordered speech
• Depression and apathy
Symptoms worsen over time.
Actor Robin Williams, who died by suicide in 2014, also had Lewy body dementia, but he was not diagnosed with the disorder while he was a live. This partly may be due to Lewy body symptoms often being confused with Parkinson's disease, mental health disorders and other medical issues.
The Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center said autopsy results showed Williams had one of the most severe cases of the disorder ever seen in pathology results.
Abnormal protein deposits in the brain called Lewy bodies have been linked to the disease, but its exact causes are still unknown.
No genetic markers have been identified for Lew body dementia, and most people diagnosed with it have no family history of the disease, the Alzheimer's Association says.
Doctors diagnose people with Lewy body dementia by observing symptoms they are exhibiting. Usually, the disorder is diagnosed before or at the same time as the onset of Parkinson's – or within one year of Parkinson's symptoms appearing, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Risk factors include being 60 or older and having a family member with Lewy body dementia. It affects more men than women.
There is no specific treatment or cure for Lewy body dementia. Doctors may prescribe antidepressants or cholinesterase inhibitors, medications sometimes prescribed for memory and thinking problems.
