Nicholas Sparks Praises Gena Rowlands' Performance in 'The Notebook' After Son Confirms She's Battling Alzheimer's

The Notebook author Nicholas Sparks penned a heartfelt tribute to Gena Rowlands, 94, after her son confirmed her heartbreaking battle with dementia.

"Alzheimer's is such a cruel disease," he wrote via X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday, June 25. "On days like today, I'm reminded of Gena's powerful portrayal of Allie and the depth she brought to the character."

"Her performance touched millions of hearts and helped bring my story to life in ways I never imagined," he continued. "I'm truly honored to have worked with such a talented artist, and my thoughts and prayers are with Gena, Nick [Cassavetes] and their family during this challenging time. I will always cherish her legacy in film and her impact on The Notebook."

Rowlands, who acted professionally from the 1950s until 2017, is known for her work in A Woman Under the Influence, Hope Floats, The Skeleton Key and more — but she is perhaps most remembered for her role in The Notebook in which she played an older version of the main character who was suffering from dementia.

As OK! previously reported, Cassavetes — who directed the film version of The Notebook — revealed his mother had been given a similar diagnosis in an interview published on June 25.

"I got my mom to play older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer's and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she's had Alzheimer's," he shared. "She's in full dementia. And it's so crazy — we lived it, she acted it, and now it's on us."

Around the time of the beloved romance film's release, Rowlands revealed that she had personal ties to the role as her own mom had battled dementia.

"I've acted in a number of projects that Nick has directed. This last one — The Notebook, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks — was particularly hard because I play a character who has Alzheimer's," she admitted in a 2004 interview with O Magazine.

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"I went through that with my mother, and if Nick hadn't directed the film, I don't think I would have gone for it," she added. "It's just too hard. It was a tough but wonderful movie."