Henry Winkler Confessed He Was ‘Disappointment’ to Parents While Wife of 45 Years Supported Him amid Disability

• Henry Winkler became a "disappointment" to his parents.
• Admittedly being "embarrassed," he opened up about the issue to his wife, who accepted his issues.
• He supported Kelly Clarkson's daughter, making the talk show host cry.

On April 19, 2023, "Happy Days" star, Henry Winkler, appeared as a guest on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," where he showed his support for the host's daughter. The actor and successful writer lives with dyslexia just as Kelly Clarkson's daughter, River, does.

Clarkson revealed to Winkler and her audience that the then-second-grader was being bullied for not being able to read like other children. The actor's lovely message for little River made her mother tear up.

In 2011, Winkler addressed how his condition became an issue for his parents. During an interview, the star revealed his dyslexia caused problems with his parents, leading him to become a "disappointment" to them.

How Henry Became His Parents' "Disappointment"

Winkler opened up about how his learning struggles affected his entire life. He admitted his dyslexia "caused massive issues with his parents," Harry and Anna Maria Winkler. "I was a disappointment to them," he said, adding:

"All I can remember about my schooldays were the rows about why I wasn't doing well, the groundings, the ultimatums."

He recalled a time when he couldn't answer a teacher's question and could still feel their disappointment. The celebrity also remembered the other children's eyes on him as they criticized him for not knowing the answer when it was "so easy."

Winkler confessed, "I grew up thinking I was stupid," and that definition of himself stuck with him. He admitted to having no self-confidence and initially tried his best to keep in step with his classmates.

The actor recalled being confused by what was happening to him as words wouldn't go into his head. He remembered knowing his work when he did spelling at home, but it was like he'd never seen the words when he arrived at school.

He would hit the side of his head with frustration, and his teacher, Miss Adolf, would ask him what he was doing. The young boy would reply that he was trying to "knock the words" into his mouth as he believed they were hanging on inside his brain.

He struggled with most of his subjects, including English, Math, History, Science, and most of all, spelling, while struggling to read. He joked lunch break was the only period he enjoyed, where he got a D, being the only thing he didn't "dread" in school.

His parents tried everything, cajoling him, coaxing, shouting, and despairing, until they told him he was a "disappointment."

While starring in "Happy Days," the star dreaded having Monday read-throughs of the scripts. He was used to memorizing things quickly and improvising the rest of them. Sometimes he was called out for not reading what was written on the pages, and he'd brush it off by claiming he was giving his character an essence.

Henry didn't expect his improvisations to stand out, causing viewers to love Arthur Herbert "The Fonz" Fonzarelli, who became the star of the series.

At 31, the actor was finally diagnosed with dyslexia, thanks to his wife, Stacey Furstman Weitzman, who he met at a clothing store where she worked as a publicist.

Henry Opened Up about the Issue to His Wife, and She Accepted It

Winkler recalled his insecurities getting the best of him around girls. He admitted he did not have "much luck" with school girls because he worried they would realize he was "dim."

But after earning enough from his television roles, in 1976, he went to buy his first sports jacket, and that's where he met Weitzman.

When Winkler first saw Weitzman, she had red hair and wore purple parachute pants. He was stunned by how beautiful she was, so he returned to the store the following week to ask if they could go for a soda after he quickly went to buy a wedding gift.

Weitzman shouted about not being a "gift service" but later changed her mind and went out with him for ginger ales.

The actor confessed to being "terribly" nervous about Weitzman finding out about his learning issues. Before he met her, he had a group of girls he was friendly with and didn't have a problem chatting with them, but one-on-ones were difficult because his self-image had been rattled by him thinking he was stupid.

Winkler felt like he was always waiting to be caught, but when Weitzman found out about his struggles when Winkler opened up to her about it, she even offered to help. He started relying on her, and he got over being "embarrassed." He would even ask her to spell words for him.

Ironically, Weitzman's son from another relationship, Jed, was also experiencing issues with reading. The celebrity recalled discussing a plan of action for Jed with a doctor, and it dawned on him that he and Jed had the same learning disability.

Within weeks of dating, Weitzman, along with Jed, then four, moved in with Winkler before marrying in 1978 after two years and welcoming Zoe and Max.

Speaking about their then 40-year marriage in 2019, Weitzman, who was there when Winkler won an Emmy Award for "Barry" in 2018, said:

"The most wonderful thing is to really be able to grow with someone."

The star's wife said growing up with someone was the most beautiful thing. She admitted they weren't the same people when they married, but some of the tenets they held dear remained intact.

[Kelly] Clarkson laughed as she grabbed some tissue to dab her eyes...

However, she confessed that it took work, with problems that threw them off, but having the ability to stick with it based on their love and friendship, their relationship got better. Winkler shared how they enjoyed fishing, their grandchildren, going to the movies, and each other daily.

Winkler might've had the support of his wife throughout his battle with dyslexia, but he has since become an advocate for children struggling with the disability, including Clarkson's daughter. He had a touching message for little River while on her mother's show.

Henry Makes Kelly Clarkson Cry Showing Support for Her Daughter

On her show, Clarkson revealed that her daughter, who had dyslexia, was informed that Winkler had it too but had written almost forty children's books! The actor noted that he had books suitable for River, and the host admitted that she'd been reading them already.

The country singer shared how River's school did a presentation on dyslexia one morning, and it was revealed that the condition was more common than thought. Celebrities like "Captain America's" Anthony Mackie and Zachary Levi were dyslexic. The message empowered River seeing how open stars were about it.

After asking the singer for her daughter's name, Winkler turned to the studio camera and left a direct message for the little girl, stating:

"How you learn has nothing to do with how brilliant you are."

Clarkson laughed as she grabbed some tissue to dab her eyes while trying to brush off the fact that Winkler's empowering statement had moved her. The musician joked that her makeup artist would kill her and told the actor, "That's so nice," while he reassured her that nothing was dripping.

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