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What Was the Cause of Susan Kendall Newman’s Death, Paul Newman’s Daughter?

 Although she died on August 2, the family only made the news public recently

10/10/2025 , 6:08 pm

Susan Kendall Newman, actress and daughter of the legendary Paul Newman, has passed away at 72. Although she died on August 2, the family only made the news public recently. According to The Hollywood Reporter, her death was caused by complications from chronic health conditions she had been dealing with for some time.

Susan was the daughter of Paul Newman’s first marriage to Jacqueline Witte, which lasted from 1949 to 1958. During the 1970s, she built a modest but meaningful career in film. Her most recognized role came in I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), directed by Robert Zemeckis. She also appeared in Slap Shot (1977), where she shared the screen with her father, and in A Wedding (1978), directed by Robert Altman.

Beyond her work in film, Susan Kendall Newman was known for keeping a low profile and for her dedication to social and humanitarian causes, continuing the legacy of compassion and integrity that defined her family.

(Pie de foto original) 1/12/1977 – Hollywood, CA – El actor Paul Newman conversa con su hija Susan Kendall Newman durante un descanso del rodaje de la película ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’.

Although Susan also explored acting, most of her career was dedicated to film and television production. One of her standout projects was The Shadow Box (1980), a film directed by her father, Paul Newman, and starring Joanne Woodward, her stepmother and his second wife. The project was a television success and earned Susan an Emmy nomination, establishing her as a talented professional behind the camera.

Paul Newman’s Daughters

Susan Kendall Newman was Paul Newman’s first daughter, but not his only child. The Hollywood legend, who passed away in 2008, had six children in total, five of them daughters: Susan, Melissa, Eleanor, Nell, and Stephanie. Three were born from his second marriage to Joanne Woodward, one of classic Hollywood’s most beloved couples.

In 2022, Susan and Eleanor made headlines when they filed a lawsuit against their father’s charitable organization, Newman’s Own Foundation. They claimed the foundation had significantly reduced the funds they were allocated to donate to charities of their choosing, limiting their role in continuing Paul Newman’s philanthropic legacy.

That dispute marked one of the few public appearances by the Newman family in recent years—a family that, despite its fame, has always been known for keeping a low profile and guarding its privacy.