“Batman” Star Julie Newmar Sacrificed a Lot For Her Son With Down Syndrome, But He Rewarded Her Greatly

Julie Newmar wrote her name in Hollywood history as the first actress to portray Catwoman on the big screen. She became a ’60s beauty icon and had a pretty successful career. But her world truly changed when she gave birth to her son, John, in 1981.

The actress opened up about her experience as a mother to a child with Down syndrome.

Newmar preferred to keep her personal life out of the spotlight. In 1977, she married a lawyer, John Holt Smith. 4 years later, after 3 miscarriages, she gave birth to a son, John Jewl Smith. The boy was a true miracle after all the actress had gone through.

Newmar’s son John was born with Down syndrome. “John was born when I was 48, a last-minute baby,” the actress confessed. A little boy lost his hearing to meningitis 3 years later. In 1984, Newmar and John’s father went their separate ways.

Despite the challenges of raising a child with Down syndrome alone, Julie found it a “very helpful” and positive experience. “Parents should never feel like they have an afflicted child,” she says.

The actress admits that her son changed her thoughts about life and love.

The 89-year-old star considers her son nothing short of a blessing, “John is what makes my life great. He’s the cause of the great expansion of my outlook on life. He’s responsible for my understanding and practice of unconditional love,” Julie says, opening up.

“He’s adorable,” she gushes about her only child, who is now 42. “He lives with me, and he’s a wonderful artist. As a matter of fact, he had an exhibit at the Washington Reid Gallery in Culver City.”

Julie and John traveled a lot around the world.

Julie took her child worldwide in her 60s, especially to Bali and other parts of Southeast Asia. They had a particular fondness for gardens. The actress has revealed that John loves anything visual, “He’s deaf and mute, so visual things delight him. He’s such a highly developed human being he’s a blessing to be around.”

They love to spend time together.

Due to Julie’s Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which damaged her leg muscles, and John’s scoliosis, which makes him unable to walk, they now mostly “travel” around their home. She has 2 long-time assistants who manage household tasks, prepare meals, and help care for John, taking him to art classes and other activities.

Julie and John always make a daily visit to their garden. On Sundays, they spend time camping in a 2-person chaise lounge where Julie enjoys catching up on her reading. They also explore the grounds on Julie’s electric scooter on other days, with John sitting on her lap.

Celebrities like John C. McGinley, Amanda Booth, and Catherina Scorsone happen to be advocates of Down syndrome. Because each of them understands what it’s like to have a loved one, suffer from this disease.