“It Was Brutal”: Lauren Miller Rogen On Her Mother’s Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Battle
Humor has long been a cornerstone of Seth Rogen and Lauren Miller Rogen’s relationship, but in their new documentary Taking Care, the couple offers a deeply personal look at how they faced one of life’s most heartbreaking challenges: caring for Lauren’s mother, Adele, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 55.
The documentary, set to release on January 13, explores their journey as caregivers, blending expert insights and personal reflections to highlight the resilience of families affected by Alzheimer’s.
According to Lauren, 43, Alzheimer’s is hard to truly understand unless one has experienced it. “When she started to show signs early on, I immediately panicked because I feared I did know what was in store… and I was right. It was brutal, if I’m being completely honest,” she stated.
“I really struggled for quite a while. I felt angry and had a short temper, but eventually started going to therapy and trying to do things to make it livable. That was the option that I had. It was either live in the darkness or do something about it,” she added.
Seth, 42, described the experience as “very eyeopening and very devastating,” acknowledging how emotionally taxing it was for Lauren and her family. Despite being a supportive partner, Seth admitted he didn’t always have the tools Lauren needed during moments of deep grief.
“It’s hard in some ways — not being able to help — but I think it’s very relieving in other ways,” Seth explained, adding, “If you don’t have an ego about it, I think it’s very healthy to acknowledge that you don’t necessarily have the skillset to fix everything. Just like if you break your arm, it’s not hard for me to understand that I don’t know how to fix that. So I think I feel very similarly.”
Lauren was initially hesitant about therapy, having grown up in a family that didn’t consider it an option. But with Seth’s encouragement, she gave it a try, finding it profoundly helpful.
As the couple navigated this journey, they channeled their pain into purpose by founding Hilarity for Charity (HFC) in 2012, a nonprofit dedicated to Alzheimer’s awareness and support. Through star-studded events featuring comedians and musicians, HFC has raised millions of dollars to fund care and research.
“I was able to find so much hope. We connect with more and more people year after year, which means we’re raising more money to help people. And when you see the work that we’re doing, tangibly helping them, it’s such great inspiration to keep going,” she shared.
Their nonprofit’s work is also spotlighted in Taking Care, showing how families can find strength through shared experiences. Lauren hopes the film will not only educate viewers but inspire them to become advocates for Alzheimer’s awareness. “I hope that people walk away with an understanding of what the disease is — it’s a much bigger strain on the whole family — and what it truly means to lose one’s memory, and then therefore will become advocates,” she stated.
The couple’s bond and determination shine through in Taking Care. Lauren admitted it wasn’t easy to revisit such painful moments, but it’s the lessons they learned that keep them motivated.
“Yes, it was hard, but I think the things we learned are what drove us to create the programs we have today,” she said.
