Jenny dies of an illness strongly implied to be AIDS (caused by HIV) in the 1994 film Forrest Gump. The movie itself does not explicitly state the disease, only mentioning that Jenny has "some kind of virus" that doctors cannot explain in 1981. However, screenwriter Eric Roth later confirmed in interviews that Jenny died from late-stage HIV/AIDS, aligning with the timing of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s. This was also reflected in plans for a canceled sequel, where Jenny's son would have inherited the disease
. In contrast, in the original Forrest Gump novel by Winston Groom, Jenny dies of Hepatitis C, a disease linked to intravenous drug use and only discovered in 1989. The film’s ambiguity and Roth’s confirmation suggest the filmmakers chose AIDS to fit the social context of the era and Jenny's troubled past, including drug abuse. The illness is portrayed as mysterious and untreatable at the time, consistent with the early years of the AIDS crisis
. In summary:
- Film: Jenny dies of AIDS (HIV), implied but confirmed by the screenwriter later.
- Book: Jenny dies of Hepatitis C, contracted from drug use.
This distinction explains the ambiguity in the movie and the different accounts in the book and film adaptations
