Jim Curtis details decades-long paralysis battle

Jim Curtis, the hypnotist and author dating actress Jennifer Aniston, has publicly detailed his decades-long battle with shame and partial paralysis stemming from a spinal cord condition diagnosed in his 20s. Curtis, 50, shared his personal health journey during a conversation with Aniston at New York City's 92nd Street Y on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, an event held to promote his new book, "The Book of Possibility." Curtis recounted a severe health crisis he experienced in his youth, which led to him spending 13 hours in an emergency room before receiving a diagnosis of lesions on his spinal cord. These lesions resulted in permanent, chronic nerve damage and partial paralysis, leaving him with a noticeable limp. He described the diagnosis as an "ultimate low" and recalled feeling his body "freeze and seize up" when he first searched for information about his condition online from his hospital bed. Despite an initial resolve to move forward, Curtis revealed that the years that followed were marked by deep shame. He concealed the true cause of his physical limitations, fabricating stories about a motorcycle accident to avoid appearing "broken" or to project a more "macho" image.