Although they have one of the most successful marriages in Hollywood these days, Happy Days star Henry Winkler admits he and his wife Stacey Weitzman had struggles in the past.

According to Fox News, Winkler wrote about the “lowest point” of his marriage to Weitzman in his new memoir Being Henry: The Fonz… and Beyond. He said it was when Weitzman was diagnosed with cancer in the early 2000s. The actor admitted that he couldn’t be “emotionally present” for her in all the ways he needed to be after the diagnosis. 

“I just couldn’t process this gigantic news,” Winkler shared. “I was terrified, as I know she was, but I was also scared to share my fear with her. Not my finest hour.” 

Henry Winkler also reflected on when he would doze off while Weitzman was having chemotreatments. He would go to work and convince himself he was earning money that was needed for part of the treatment that insurance didn’t cover. The Happy Days star stated his thoughts were a huge wake-up call and he started going to therapy to address traumas he experienced growing up. Along with discussing his wife’s cancer fight, he shared that Weitzman attended some of his sessions with the therapist. 

“I am so proud of him and so happy for him – and selfishly happy for myself,” Weitzman wrote in her husband’s memoir. “Because when someone is feeling good about themselves, they’re a lot easier to be around.” 

Weitzman pointed out that Winkler had his moments of self-satisfaction in the past, but they were brief. “This time, I really think he knows he’s good. Living with an actor can be challenging; nobody knows that the way I do. But Henry is a full person now.” 

Henry Winkler Reveals His and Stacey Weitzman’s Secrets to Their Successful Marriage

While promoting his memoir, Henry Winkler spoke to Fox News Digital about his and Stacey Weitzman’s secrets to their successful marriage.

“What’s the secret? First, it’s picking the right person,” Winkler explained. “In 45 years, there are ups, there are downs. You need the right person who can face those ups and downs with you. There is also the will to be together – I believe in that very strongly. I’ve rethought this, and it always comes back to that. The center of the relationship is the ear — not the heart, not the head.”

Henry Winkler also recalls in the book first meeting Weizmann in 1976. They were at a Jerry Magnin clothing store in Beverly Hills. “This beautiful redhead … gave no indication whether she knew who I was — or if she did, whether she cared,” Winkler wrote.

Somehow he managed to go on a date with Weitzman and when he warned her about the attention he may receive in public, Weitzman didn’t seem bothered. He also said he wasn’t worried about his fame scaring her though. The actor told Fox News, “It is what it is. I was working as an actor, which was a dream of mine since I was old enough to reason. My fame came from that.”