Tragedy In Hollywood
From Patrick Swayze to Shannon Doherty, these are some of the most beloved stars who have tragically died of cancer.
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze was known for his films like 1987's Dirty Dancing and 1989's Road House—but at the end of 2007, disaster struck.
Patrick Swayze
Swayze had only recently finished filming the pilot episode for The Beast when he began to feel a searing pain in his stomach. Tragically, just three weeks later, he faced a terrifying diagnosis—stage IV pancreatic cancer.
Patrick Swayze
At first, the actor downplayed the severity of his condition in the face of the rabid tabloids, and he even continued working. Though the headlines claimed that Swayze was approaching death's door, he continued to make appearances, and even said, "My treatments are working and I am winning the battle."
However, he had a grueling journey ahead of him.
Patrick Swayze
Though Swayze admitted to having a "tiny little mass" in his liver during a Barbara Walters interview, all was not well. By April 2009, the cancer had officially metastasized to his liver.
And when it came to what had caused his cancer, Swayze had his own theories.
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Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze believed that his pancreatic cancer was likely linked to his severe smoking habit, one that had persisted for four decades and in which he continued to indulge throughout treatment.
Patrick Swayze
Following his initial cancer diagnosis, Swayze survived for 20 months. He passed on September 14, 2009, at the age of 57.
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Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman worked as an actor for twenty years, but is best known for his role as T'Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though his death came as a shock to many people, it turned out that Boseman had been keeping a tragic secret for years.
Chadwick Boseman
Back in 2016, Boseman learned about his stage III colon cancer diagnosis for the first time. As he began to battle the disease, he never disclosed this information to the public, and only a small number of people outside of his family knew that he was ill.
Chadwick Boseman
Despite his brutal cancer treatment, Boseman threw himself into work, completing major films like Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Marshall, and Da 5 Bloods. But though he held tight to his secret—the public began to notice that something was seriously wrong.
Chadwick Boseman
The outside world couldn't help but notice Boseman's appearance. He had lost a significant amount of weight and many of his fans were worried, while others were cruelly critical of him. However, the awful truth was bound to come out eventually.
Chadwick Boseman
On August 28, 2020, 43-year-old Chadwick Boseman passed from colon cancer, surrounded by his family.
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John was one of the best-selling music artists of all time and won four Grammys—but many know her best as Sandy in the musical film Grease. However, one of the defining parts of her life was her many bouts of breast cancer and her contributions to cancer research.
Paramount Pictures, Grease (1978)
Olivia Newton-John
In 1992, Newton-John was on the verge of a comeback when she received a devastating breast cancer diagnosis. She had no choice but to cancel the tour for her most recent album. Though she eventually beat the disease, this was only the beginning.
Bert Verhoeff for Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
Olivia Newton-John
In 2017, the singer began experiencing some worrisome back pains. At first, doctors believed it was just sciatica—but in reality, her cancer had returned with a vengeance. This time, the breast cancer had spread to her lower back. But that wasn't the only thing she revealed.
Olivia Newton-John
Turns out, this wasn't Olivia Newton-John's first relapse, but her second. Her breast cancer had also returned five years earlier, in 2013. This time, however, her condition was dire.
FESTIVALDEVINACHILE, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Olivia Newton-John
Tragically, there was no overcoming her third time with cancer—it spread to her bones, becoming stage IV—and on August 8, 2022, Olivia Newton-John passed at the age of 73.
Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
John Wayne
John Wayne was one of the biggest actors in Hollywood history, best known for his roles in Westerns and war films. However, few know that there's a controversy linked to his demise.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
John Wayne
In 1964, John Wayne faced a scary diagnosis—lung cancer—and endured some painful procedures. He had an operation to remove two ribs and his left lung. However, in the wake of this scary chapter, he did something quite surprising.
Hugo van Gelderen / Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL, Wikimedia Commons
John Wayne
Though many advised Wayne to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret for the good of his career, the actor did the opposite. Not only did he share his condition with the public, but he also advised everyone to get preventive exams.
After five years of treatment, John Wayne's cancer went into remission—but sadly, fate had another twist in store for him.
John Wayne
Tragically, John Wayne passed on June 11, 1979 from stomach cancer. But when it came to what caused the actor's two bouts of cancer, some people pointed to one controversial movie.
Mondadori Publishers, Wikimedia Commons
John Wayne
Though some believe John Wayne's decades-long smoking habit wreaked havoc on his health, others claim that the conditions on the set of 1956's The Conquerer were to blame.
John Wayne
You see, The Conquerer was filmed dangerously close to a nuclear testing site. Because so many members of the cast and crew eventually got cancer, many argue that the nuclear fallout may have been a factor.
Bettmann Archive, Wikimedia Commons
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft had a wide range of talents. She was an actress and director who snagged many awards throughout her lifetime, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, two Tonys, two Emmys, and three BAFTA awards. She starred in major films like The Elephant Man and The Graduate.
However, her death came as a total shock.
Twentieth Century-Fox studio, Wikimedia Commons
Anne Bancroft
Bancroft was a very private person. After being diagnosed with uterine cancer, she kept the information so close to her chest that her passing blindsided even some of her friends. She died on June 6, 2005, at the age of 73.
But her passing left one person utterly gutted.
Anne Bancroft
Anne Bancroft met Mel Brooks in 1961 and they married in 1964. Brooks later shared, “Living this life without her is not easy. There were a lot of great kisses and great spaghetti.”
Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Shannon Doherty
Shannon Doherty was best known for her role in the television show Beverly Hills, 90210. The actress didn't always have it easy when it came to how the press portrayed her.
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Shannon Doherty
Doherty has admitted to earning her reputation as a "bad girl" in the 1990s—but little did she know, her greatest struggle was yet to come.
Shannon Doherty
In 2015, Doherty discovered she had breast cancer—but luckily she went into remission two years later. However, when it came to her health, she still had a long road ahead of her.
Shannon Doherty
In 2019, the actress's cancer returned with a vengeance, and in 2020, she made the devastating news public. This time the cancer had metastasized; it was stage IV.
Shannon Doherty
In 2023, Doherty's battle reached a terrifying chapter: The cancer had reached her brain and she needed surgery to remove the tumor.
She later shared how scared she was to have her tumor, named "Bob," extracted: “He had to get removed and dissected to see his pathology. It was definitely one of the scariest things I’ve ever been through in my entire life.”
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin, Getty Images
Shannon Doherty
Despite her struggle with cancer, Doherty proudly continued to work. In particular, she focused her energy on raising awareness and money for cancer research.
Speaking about her cancer, Doherty shared, “When you ask yourself, ‘Why me? Why did I get cancer?’ and then ‘Why did my cancer come back? Why am I stage 4?,’ that leads you to look for the bigger purpose in life."
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images
Shannon Doherty
Shannon Doherty lived with cancer for many years, but on July 13, 2024, she passed at the age of 53.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
Andy Kaufman
Andy Kaufman was an entertainer, actor, and performance artist, who insisted that he wasn't a comedian but rather a "song and dance man." He starred as Latka Gravas in 114 episodes of the television show Taxi.
However, he died tragically young.
Andy Kaufman
In November 1983, red flags began flying for Andy Kaufman. While attending a Thanksgiving dinner, he kept coughing over and over again. This began to worry his family.
Paramount Television, Taxi (TV series)
Andy Kaufman
Kaufman claimed that he'd already consulted his doctor about his persistent cough, who had assured him that his health was in fine condition. However, when he got a second opinion, the dark truth came out.
NBC, The Tonight Show (1962–1992)
Andy Kaufman
After undergoing some tests, Kaufman received his official diagnosis: large-cell carcinoma of the lung. However, he wasn't ready to share this sad news with his fans.
Andy Kaufman
In January 1984, Kaufman looked sickly during his performances, which worried his viewers. Though he confessed to having an illness, he didn't divulge that he had cancer.
However, the way he went about treating his cancer was the most shocking part of all.
A+E Networks, Biography, Andy Kaufman's Really Big Show (1999)
Andy Kaufman
Andy Kaufman hoped to cure his illness with natural medicine. For instance, he decided to change his diet to one limited to fruits and vegetables. But this simply wasn't effective.
Andy Kaufman
By the time Kaufman began undergoing palliative radiotherapy, his lung cancer had moved to his brain. However, he was still desperate to overcome it—and resorted to something that is now understood as medical fraud.
Joan Adlen Photography, Getty Images
Andy Kaufman
In March 1984, Kaufman traveled all the way to the Philippines to experience something called psychic surgery. In such procedures, the "doctor" pretends to perform an operation on the patient to convince them that they are cured.
A+E Networks, Biography, Andy Kaufman's Really Big Show (1999)
Andy Kaufman
Kaufman underwent six weeks of psychic surgery, and afterward, his practitioner claimed that all of his tumors had been successfully removed. The entertainer also believed that his cancer had been eradicated—but he was terribly mistaken.
Andy Kaufman
Though Kaufman claimed to feel healthier, he may have been in denial of the hard truth: He had a terminal illness. The 35-year-old passed on May 16, 1984.
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