'Legally Blind': Anne Hathaway Drops Bombshell on Her 10-Year Battle With Early-Onset Cataract

Before of the release of her highly anticipated sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, on May 1, Anne Hathaway sat for an interview on The New York Times' podcast Popcast.

While speaking about the film, the actress also opened up about a chapter of her life that not many knew about.

Turns out, despite her youthful beauty and elegance, Hathaway was “legally blind” in one eye, for a decade.

Speaking on the podcast, the actress shed light on her constant battle with the secret medical condition before finally undergoing surgery.

Speaking with hosts Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli on the podcast, Hathaway dropped a bombshell about being “half blind for 10 years… [from age] 30 to 40.”

Warning how her revelation could be “too much information” for her fans and listeners, Hathaway opened up about her battle with this rare condition.

“I had an early-onset cataract, and it impacted my vision so much that I was basically legally blind out of my left eye,” Hathaway shared.

Claiming how she struggled with her vision for a decade, the actress noted that she eventually considered surgery as her partial blindness started putting pressure on her nervous system.

Hathaway noted, “I wound up getting surgery and I didn't realize how bad it had gotten until I could finally see, like the full spectrum.”

She continued, “And I've calmed down since then. I didn't realize it was actually taxing my nervous system.”

Meanwhile, although the actress kept her ailment a secret, cataracts are rather common.

According to Mayo Clinic, a cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye, which occurs in people as they age. While it's rather common, younger patients often require surgery to correct the issue.

“Clouded vision caused by cataracts can make it hard to read, drive a car at night, or see the expression on a friend's face,” states Mayo Clinic.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Hathaway's condition would have categorized as severe vision loss.

It states that a legally blind person has 20/200 vision or worse even with corrective lenses, or their visual field is limited to no more than 20 degrees wide.

Further in the interview, as the hosts asked more about her cataract and her life after surgery, Hathaway spoke about how grateful she is to regain her complete vision.

Calling it a “miracle,” the actress explained why she feels grateful for the privilege of having a successful surgery.

“I appreciate vision because I literally feel like every day I wake up and I get to see the way that I do, it's a miracle,” Hathaway stated.

Having lived with partial blindness, the Interstellar actress claimed to have started appreciating her vision more than ever.

Hathaway said, “I actually am like, 'Oh, two generations back, that wouldn't have been an option for someone like me.' So, I actually do feel very connected to that kind of a miracle.”