Jeff Bridges’ Health: His Battle With Cancer & How He’s Feeling Now

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Image Credit: Shutterstock Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma successful 2020. He contracted COVID-19 erstwhile helium was successful chemotherapy. Jeff said helium was “pretty adjacent to dying” during his wellness crisis. The histrion revealed successful May  of 2023 that his tumor shrank dramatically.

Jeff Bridges has been done a batch these past fewer years. The 73-year-old Academy Award victor announced that helium was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a signifier of cancer, successful October 2020. Jeff underwent chemotherapy and ended up contracting COVID-19, which astir killed him due to the fact that helium was truthful weak. “COVID made my crab look similar nothing,” Jeff told PEOPLE.

Jeff Bridges astatine ‘The Old Man’ premiere successful June 2022 (Photo: Shutterstock)

In May of 2023, helium had immoderate affirmative news. Following assertive chemotherapy, helium revealed his tumor had shrunk to “the size of a marble” pursuing assertive chemotherapy treatments. “I was doing those combat scenes for the archetypal occurrence of The Old Man and didn’t cognize that I had a 9-by-12-inch tumor successful my body,” the acclaimed histrion told AARP for a portion published connected Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

Jeff has been unfastened astir his wellness struggles and has credited his wife, Susan Geston, with helping him passim the scary experience. Jeff’s three children person besides supported their celebrated dada done it all. Here is everything you request to cognize astir Jeff’s wellness struggles, however he’s doing today, and more.

Jeff Bridges Diagnosed With Cancer

As the Dude would say.. New S**T has travel to light.

I person been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is simply a superior disease, I consciousness fortunate that I person a large squad of doctors and the prognosis is good.

I’m starting attraction and volition support you posted connected my recovery.

— Jeff Bridges (@TheJeffBridges) October 20, 2020

Jeff announced his crab diagnosis connected October 19, 2020. He utilized a enactment from his iconic quality “The Dude” from the 1998 film, The Big Lebowski, to mildly interruption the news. “As the Dude would say.. New S**T has travel to light. I person been diagnosed with Lymphoma,” the histrion wrote connected Twitter. “Although it is simply a superior disease, I consciousness fortunate that I person a large squad of doctors and the prognosis is good. I’m starting attraction and volition support you posted connected my recovery.” In a follow-up tweet, Jeff said that he’s “profoundly grateful for the emotion and enactment from my household and friends.”

Jeff Bridges astatine the 2023 Critics Choice Awards (Photo: Shutterstock)

Jeff received enactment from truthful galore different celebs connected societal media aft helium revealed helium has non-Hodgkin lymphoma. George Takei, Marlee Matlin, Rosie Perez, and Patricia Arquette were among the stars who showed Jeff immoderate love.

What Is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is “a wide word for cancers that commencement successful the lymph system,” according to the CDC. There are 2 types of lymphoma: Hodgkin lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Jeff was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin, which is simply a benignant of crab that starts successful achromatic humor cells that are portion of the body’s immune system. Symptoms see swollen lymph nodes successful the neck, abdominal pain, thorax pain, persistent fatigue, fever, nighttime sweats, and value loss, according to the Mayo Clinic. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is usually treated with chemotherapy oregon radiotherapy.

How Long Has Jeff Bridges Been Sick?

It’s been implicit 2 years since Jeff announced his crab diagnosis. He began chemotherapy by infusion and oral chemo and shared his archetypal large wellness update successful January 2021. Jeff said connected his website that tumor had already “drastically shrunk.” He said that helium “came location elated with the news.”

While helium was doing chemotherapy, Jeff contracted COVID-19 earlier helium could get vaccinated. Jeff revealed to PEOPLE that helium spent astir 5 months successful the infirmary and was “pretty adjacent to dying.” He said, “The doctors kept telling me, ‘Jeff, you’ve got to fight. You’re not fighting.’ I was successful surrender mode. I was acceptable to go. I was dancing with my mortality.” Jeff besides explained that his assemblage had “no defenses” to combat the coronavirus, since helium was doing chemo. “I had thing to combat it,” the histrion said.

How Is Jeff Bridges Doing Today?

Jeff has made it done his crab battle! He’s been successful remission since September 2021 and adjacent made it done different bout with the coronavirus. He caught COVID-19 for a 2nd clip erstwhile helium was traveling to beforehand his TV amusement The Old Man, according to PEOPLE. Jeff spoke to the outlet astir what it was similar battling crab and COVID astatine the aforesaid time.

Jeff Bridges with his woman Susan (Photo: Shutterstock)

“It conscionable heightened the acquisition of astir of my philosophies successful life, and it each gets down to that corny ‘L’ connection — love,” helium said. “That seems to beryllium what’s moving my ship, and going done these pugnacious times, it benignant of exacerbated each of that doctrine of love. When you get adjacent to losing thing similar that, your gratitude and your thankfulness for what you have, the radical that you love, and the emotion that you consciousness for your loved ones, grows. It conscionable magnifies it, and that was thing affirmative that came retired of it.”

Jeff’s woman Susan was truthful supportive erstwhile helium was battling cancer. Speaking astir the acquisition to PEOPLE, Susan said, “We didn’t cognize if helium would recover. I said [to the doctors], ‘Save his life. No substance what you person to do.’ ” Susan besides called the clip Jeff was severely sick “a atrocious dream,” but noted that “now’s the bully imagination part.” Jeff told PEOPLE that Susan and his 3 daughters  — Isabelle, 41, Jessica, 39, and Haley, 37 — “were truthful supportive astir the crab and COVID.” He besides said, “It conscionable brought to my attraction however overmuch they loved me, and however overmuch I loved them.”

In May of 2023, Jeff told AARP that assertive chemotherapy had shrunk his tumor to “the size of a marble.” Following his months agelong hospitalization for COVID-19, helium said helium wasn’t definite he’d ever spell backmost to enactment — but revealed that helium is present feeling better. “I didn’t deliberation I’d ever enactment again, really,” helium told the publication. “So astatine archetypal I said, ‘Well, we’ll see.’ But yet that became, ‘Maybe I can.’ I person to admit that I was inactive frightened of going backmost to work.  Then I began to deliberation of my betterment arsenic a acquisition being presented.”

“So chopped to 2 years aft taking that break,” helium continued. “I travel backmost to work, and, man, it was similar a dream, arsenic if we’d conscionable had a agelong play oregon something. I was seeing each the aforesaid faces successful the formed and crew,” helium shared. “Very bizarre. Everybody showed specified dedication and hung in. We finished it. I admit that.”

Jeff besides revealed that he’d felt good capable to locomotion his youngest girl Hayley down the aisle astatine her wedding successful August of 2021.

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