Susan Kendall Newman, the actor, producer, activist and eldest daughter of Hollywood icon Paul Newman, has died at the age of 72, her family announced.
In an obituary published in The New York Times, it was revealed that Susan died on August 2 this year from complications relating to chronic health conditions.
“Susan Kendall Newman will be remembered for her sharp wit and tongue, generosity and love, and her devotion to family and friends. She will be very much missed,” her family wrote.
Susan, whose mother was Jackie Witte, Paul Newman’s first wife, was known for her role in Robert Zemeckis’s 1978 film I Wanna Hold Your Hand. She played Peggy Sue, one in a group of teenagers trying to meet The Beatles during their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
Born in New York City in 1953, Susan began her career in theater, appearing in productions on and off Broadway before landing her role in Zemeckis’s film. Her other notable on-screen appearances include Slap Shot (1977) and A Wedding (1978).
She then transitioned into a role as a TV producer, earning an Emmy nomination for her work on The Shadow Box (1980), a made-for-TV adaptation directed by her father and starring her stepmother, Oscar-winner Joanne Woodward.
In 1980, she joined the Scott Newman Foundation — an organization founded by her father after her brother, Scott, who had appeared in films like The Towering Inferno (1974) and Breakheart Pass (1975), died in November 1978 from a drug overdose.
She became the foundation’s Executive Director, earning recognition from national leaders and organizations. She testified before Congress and federal agencies on drug abuse prevention and spoke at universities, hospitals, and community groups across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
She advised the California Department of Education on programs addressing media influence on substance use and oversaw the creation of educational resources, including Drug-Free Kids: A Parent’s Guide. She also led a pioneering program in which 10th-grade students produced their own anti-drug commercials, with winning entries broadcast nationally.
She went on to establish Newman Consulting Company, offering guidance to government agencies, corporations, and nonprofits on prevention initiatives, outreach campaigns, and fundraising strategies.
She produced a family-friendly audiobook series of classical literature for Simon & Schuster, earning a Grammy nomination, with proceeds supporting family literacy programs. Later, her advocacy expanded to include education, juvenile justice, conservation, healthcare, election protection, environmental preservation in Big Sur, and melanoma and leukemia research. She also shaped philanthropic strategies for a private foundation, supporting grassroots organizations, at-risk communities, and innovative disaster relief efforts.
Susan is survived by her sister, Stephanie, 71. She also has three half-sisters from her father’s marriage to Woodward: Nell, Melissa, and Clea.
In a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair, Susan spoke out against Robert Forrester, CEO of her father’s food company, Newman’s Own, which donates all of its after-tax profits to charity through Newman's Own Foundation.
Susan alleged that after her dad died in 2008, many of the promises and plans he had made for his daughters were abandoned. She said that he had intended for each daughter to have a foundation funded with substantial sums, to inherit specific roles and be involved in governance (including seats on the board of Newman’s Own), and to have their own charitable work supported.
According to Susan, Forrester ended up with “the keys to the kingdom,” centralizing control, changing or deferring many of The Hustler star’s plans, and making it hard for family members to get straight answers.
She further claimed that the Scott Newman Center had been defunded by Newman’s Own Foundation without adequate alternative support, leading eventually to its closure in 2013.
Forrester denied many of Susan’s characterizations, saying that her claim that he was ignoring the screen legend’s wishes was “totally untrue.”
In 2022, Susan and Nell filed a lawsuit against the foundation, seeking $1.6 million in damages to benefit charities further. They claimed funds had been diverted from the charitable causes their father cared about, and the annual donations they received had decreased from $400,000 to $200,000.
The lawsuit remains ongoing.
