Forrest Gump: The True Cause of Jenny's Death (2024)

Given the tragic end of her story, there are still many fans wondering what Jenny died from in Forrest Gump. The confusion surrounding these questions is due to the fact that the movie provides only clues about Jenny's death and does not adapt how Jenny dies in the book. Though Robert Zemeckis' 1994 film centers on Forrest's life accomplishments, the story is grounded by his unconditional love for Jenny, despite her often not treating him very kindly in return. Unbeknownst to the naive Forrest (but plain to the audience), Jenny from Forrest Gump was an abuse victim and often struggled with her own past traumas.

Forrest Gump chooses to gloss over Jenny's true diagnosis for reasons unknown, and it's hard to say if the film worked better without the admission. At the time, the AIDS pandemic was sadly a devastating reality, and given every historical event in Forrest Gump, Jenny succumbing to HIV is widely accepted as the likeliest cause of her death. While the book has its own conclusion, the movie presents various clues to Jenny's death.

How Jenny Dies In Forrest Gump

Jenny Not Explaining The Illness To Forrest Reflects How She Understands His Limitations

Jenny's death in Forrest Gump comes after she and Forrest share a bittersweet journey together throughout their lives. They bond as young children but separate as adults because of the Vietnam War — a fate that befell many people back when one could be drafted into the military. Although, in Forrest's case he enlisted. Forrest fulfills his vow to write letters for Jenny, only to discover that they'd been returned due to an invalid mailing address.

After becoming a war hero and receiving the Medal of Honor, Forrest reunites Jenny at a 1967 anti-war rally in Washington D.C. but then doesn't see her for nearly a decade. In 1976, Jenny returns home to Alabama and has sex with Forrest before taking off again, continuing the cycle of her floating in and out of his life. While Forrest Gump's early conflict stems from events that took him away from Jenny, the final act drama explores what brings them together, leading to a resolution that's in some ways cathartic, but in others quite upsetting.

Forrest Gump's climax explains the opening premise and builds to two major reveals. In 1981, Forrest travels to Georgia upon receiving a letter from Jenny, who knows the truth about why her long-time friend spent years running across America: he was heartbroken and nostalgic for the past. Forrest discovers that Jenny gave birth to Forrest Jr. (Haley Joel Osment), thus making their bond stronger.

Then he learns that Jenny has "some kind of virus" that doctors can't explain. Jenny dies after marrying Forrest, and her illness is never clarified within the film. Jenny's true cause of death in Forrest Gump was long rumored to be associated with either HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C due to the early '80s setting and the character's lifestyle from years prior.

Jenny Was An Unfortunate Casualty Of The HIV/AIDS Pandemic

Screenwriter Eric Roth Detailed The Unmade Forrest Gump Sequel

In 2019, Forrest Gump screenwriter Eric Roth confirmed that the illness Jenny died from was late-stage HIV. During an interview (viaYahoo Entertainment) about the film's 25th anniversary, Roth discussed the details of a sequel that was canceled after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. He reveals that the Forrest Gump sequel was actually going to open with the revelation that Forrest Jr. had late-stage HIV, the result of acquiring the disease from his mother, Jenny. Roth also notes that he wrote a humorously dark scene involving Florida kids who refused to attend the same school as Forrest Jr.:

"We had a funny sequence where they were [desegregation] busing in Florida at the same time, so people were angry about either the busing, or [their] kids having to go to school with the kid who had AIDS. So there was a big conflict."

Per Roth, the Forrest Gump sequel had a darker subtext beyond the HIV plot line. One scene involved Hanks' character riding in the back of O.J. Simpson's Ford Bronco during the infamous 1994 freeway chase in Los Angeles. Another scene had Forrest ballroom dancing with Princess Diana (who tragically passed away in 1997). Roth also wrote a sequence where a Native American character whom Forrest befriends gets killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

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Did The HIV Virus Transmit To Forrest Gump and Forrest Jr.?

The Movie Wisely Avoids Addressing The Dark Possibility

The question of the future implications of Jenny's illness lays a dark overtone to Forrest Gump as a whole: It's medically possible that HIV transmission occurred to both Forrest Gump and Forrest Gump Jr., but the creators never officially answered the question. If Jenny were to pass on HIV to Forrest, then it's probable her son, Forrest Jr., would have the virus as well. If Forrest (and his son) possibly did have the virus, it would cause numerous complications over his life, spanning far into the future. This would assuredly cast a shadow over the purpose of the film, which is about a man and his triumphs while living with learning difficulties.

Whether Forrest acquired the virus doesn't serve the intent of Forrest Gump. Nothing in the movie denotes that Forrest has HIV, though, the film keeps Jenny's diagnosis purposefully vague. What Jenny died from is only discovered when information about the scrapped sequel came out. Since it's unknown when Jenny acquired the illness in Forrest Gump, it's very possible that HIV transmission didn't take place. It's sad enough that Jenny faced the impact of the HIV pandemic. Exposing Forrest to it as well would only add an unnecessary layer of tragedy to the movie.

The sequel was ultimately canceled when the 9/11 tragedy made the screenplay "meaningless." Therefore, movie fans are left with Forrest Gump: a '90s classic that does indeed cover many historical events but ultimately settles on Jenny's legacy. Considering how underwhelming most belated sequels to beloved classic movies turn out, though, Forrest not returning for a sequel is probably for the best, especially due to the original being viewed by some as problematic by modern standards.

Tom Hanks Was An HIV/AIDS Activist Before Forrest Gump

Hanks' Charity Work Coincided With His First Oscar-Winning Role

While starring in Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks was known for another controversial (at the time) movie — 1993's Philadelphia. This Tom Hanks movie saw the actor in the role of Andrew Beckett, a gay man who enlists the help of lawyer Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) to sue his former employers for firing him when they found out he had AIDS. Playing a gay man in an early 90s movie was quite unheard of, and rather controversial, at the time — portraying a character openly living as HIV-positive added additional uproar in less-than-progressive circles too. However, the role won Hanks a "Best Actor" Oscar in 1994, proving that the film was a cultural landmark.

Unlike Forrest Gump's deliberate ambiguity around the subject, Philadelphia was on a mission to bring awareness surrounding the AIDS pandemic to those who might not normally care, putting Washington's character into the shoes of the average person at the time, who had qualms about helping someone out that was gay and had AIDS. Outside his role in Philadelphia, movie star Tom Hanks is known for charity work for AIDS/HIV relief and research. Forrest Gump isn't necessarily known for AIDS activism, since Jenny's diagnosis was glossed over, but her character and illness are important nonetheless, and yet another way Hanks brought awareness to the reality of living with AIDs and HIV.

Jenny Dies From Hepatitis C In The Forrest Gump Books

The Adaptation Of Forrest Gump Changed A Lot From The Source Material

The question of how Jenny dies in Forrest Gump is further confused by the fact that the book is different from how screenwriter Eric Roth has spoken about it, and Forrest Gump author Winston Groom has given conflicting comments over the years. That said, what's clear is that Jenny dies of Hepatitis C in the second book, while she dies of AIDS in the movies, even though it was only implied. Notably, Hepatitis C was discovered in 1989, which is why the doctors could do little for Jenny in the '80s. Moreover, Hepatitis C - especially during the '80s - was transferred through blood contact with shared needles, which is also consistent with Jenny's character in Forrest Gump.