FOR 19 YEARS, Jamie Lee Curtis has carried A PAIN that never fades…

The devastating loss of her beloved parents, Hollywood legends Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, still haunts her. Though decades have passed, the wound remains fresh for Jamie, who has spent years navigating the complicated legacy of her famous family. Now, in a candid revelation, she opens up about the heartbreaking truth behind her parents’ final moments and the shocking details of their will that shattered her world.

A Hollywood Legacy Marked by Tragedy

Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis were one of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples in the golden age of cinema. Janet, the stunning actress known for her unforgettable role in Psycho, and Tony, the dashing star of Some Like It Hot, captivated audiences on and off-screen. But behind the glitz and glamour, their lives were riddled with personal turmoil, strained relationships, and hidden pain—something that Jamie Lee Curtis would later come to understand all too well.

The couple divorced in 1962 when Jamie was just three years old, leaving a lasting impact on her childhood. While she and her sister, Kelly Curtis, maintained a bond with their mother, their relationship with their father was far more complicated. Over the years, Tony Curtis became increasingly distant, caught up in his own struggles with fame, addiction, and tumultuous relationships.

A Final Goodbye That Left Deep Scars

Janet Leigh’s passing in 2004 after a battle with vasculitis was a devastating blow for Jamie. The two shared a deep, unbreakable bond, and Janet’s death left her daughter feeling lost. Just six years later, in 2010, Jamie suffered another profound loss when her father, Tony Curtis, passed away at the age of 85. However, it wasn’t just his death that left her reeling—it was what followed that truly broke her heart.

In a shocking turn of events, Jamie and her sister Kelly were completely cut out of their father’s will. Instead, Tony left his entire fortune—reportedly worth millions—to his fifth wife, Jill Vandenberg Curtis. The decision blindsided Jamie, who had already struggled with her father’s emotional distance throughout her life. Despite her pain, she chose to remain silent about the betrayal—until now.

On Tuesday, which marked 19 years since the death of her mother, the Academy Award winner shared an Instagram post featuring a photo of her parents, writing in the caption that she had been “missing them both now for a long time.”

“Janet Leigh left us this day in 2004 and Tony Curtis last week in 2010,” she wrote.

American actor Tony Curtis (1925 – 2010) with his wife, actress Janet Leigh (1927 – 2004) at the premiere of the film ‘The Glenn Miller Story’, Dec. 10, 1953.
Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

She also called attention to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike and said her parents would support the actors on the picket lines.

“[I] know from their activism that they would stand with @sagaftra and this righteous fight to protect their and our identities!” she wrote.

SAG-AFTRA has been on strike since July, a stoppage that coincided with the Writers Guild of America strike, which ended last week after the guild was able to reach a tentative agreement with studios.

In 1960 — the last time the WGA and SAG were on strike at the same time — Leigh, who was known for her award-winning role as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller “Psycho,” and Tony Curtis, who was known for his roles in “Some Like It Hot” and “Spartacus,” opened their Beverly Hills home to 100 SAG members to help actors understand the purpose of a strike, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The current SAG-AFTRA strike, like its 1960 counterpart, also stems from a dispute over compensation. It comes amid an industry-wide shift toward streaming that has changed the way performers receive residuals, or royalty payments.

Last week, the WGA, which began striking in early May, unanimously voted to lift its strike after reaching a “tentative” deal with studios. The strike lasted 146 days and brought pickets to productions and company offices nationwide.

Moving Forward with Grace

At 65, Jamie Lee Curtis is stronger than ever, having forged her own identity outside of the shadows of her famous parents. She has learned that healing is an ongoing process, and though the pain of loss never truly fades, it becomes a part of the journey.

“I carry them with me every day,” she said. “Not in their money or their legacy, but in my heart.”

Through her honesty, resilience, and unwavering spirit, Jamie Lee Curtis proves that even in the face of heartbreak, love endures—and that is the legacy she chooses to carry forward.