CNN Founder Ted Turner Reveals Battle With Lewy Body Dementia

CNN founder Ted Turner reveals he’s living with Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder, in an interview with Ted Koppel on CBS Sunday Morning this weekend.

“It’s a mild case of what people have as Alzheimer’s,” Turner says. “It’s similar to that. But not nearly as bad. Alzheimer’s is fatal. Thank goodness I don’t have that.” At one point in the interview, Turner pauses and says, “Dementia. I can’t remember what my disease is.”

Asked by Koppel about symptoms, Turner responds, “Tired. Exhausted. That’s the main symptoms, and forgetfulness.” The interview was filmed at Turner’s 113,000-acre ranch near Bozeman, Montana.

Turner also talks about his life today, his rivalry with Rupert Murdoch, his father’s suicide, the environment, and CNN today. Watch a clip below.

“I think they’re stickin’ with politics a little too much,” Turner says. “They – they’d do better to have – a more balanced – agenda. But that’s, you know, just one person’s opinion.”

Turner was most recently seen in the HBO documentary Jane Fonda In Five Acts, greeting his ex-wife during her visit to his ranch. Asked about whether he ever thought of running for president, Turner tells Koppel, “Well, the closest I came to running for office was when I was married to Jane Fonda. And when I discussed it with her – she was married to one politician. And she said, you know, ‘If you run for, for office, you run alone.'”

The Turner interview will air on CBS Sunday Morning Sunday, Sept. 30, 9 AM, ET on CBS.