Anna Paquin Uses Cane At Film Premiere While Dealing With Mobility And Speech Issues

Oscar winner Anna Paquin walked with a cane Wednesday at the premiere of her new movie amid speculation about her health.

In attendance for a New York City screening of “A Bit of Light,” an indie drama directed by her husband, Stephen Moyer, that she stars in, Paquin used a black walking stick for assistance on the red carpet and told People of the “difficult” last two years in which she’s been grappling with mobility and speech problems.

“It hasn’t been easy,” the “True Blood” alum said.

While her exact condition remained undisclosed, an unnamed source told People that Paquin, 41, “will hopefully make a full recovery.”

Paquin, pictured at the Manhattan premiere of
Paquin, pictured at the Manhattan premiere of "A Bit of Light," said the last two years have been "difficult" because of mobility and speech problems. Theo Wargo via Getty Images

Page Six reported that Paquin has not appeared on a red carpet since October 2022 at the Raindance Film Festival in London, where she did not use a cane. That event was also for a screening of “A Bit of Light,” E! News noted.

HuffPost reached out to Paquin’s reps for further comment.

Paquin and Moyer at the world premiere of
Paquin and Moyer at the world premiere of "A Bit of Light" at the Raindance Film Festival in London on Oct. 29, 2022. The two, who are married, worked together on the indie drama. Aaron Chown - PA Images via Getty Images

In “A Bit of Light,” Paquin plays an alcoholic mother named Ella who has lost custody of her daughters.

The actor, who shares 11-year-old twins with Moyer, discussed the role with People and said that, despite not relating to the character, she understood the complexities of parenthood that the role highlights.

“Not everyone ends up having the journey with motherhood that they have hoped or had planned,” Paquin said. “We’re all flawed and imperfect, and Ella is kind of on some level repeating some sort of familial patterns as far as stuffing feelings down.”

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