Jeff Bridges announced his bad medical news on Twitter as only Jeff Bridges could: “As the Dude would say.. New S**t has come to light. I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.” This was in October 2020. The Big Lebowski and The Last Picture Show legend has since revealed that his cancer is in remission, although he was “pretty close to dying” after being diagnosed with COVID while in chemotherapy.
“I had no defenses. That’s what chemo does — it strips you of all your immune system. I had nothing to fight it. COVID made my cancer look like nothing,” Bridges told People. He contracted COVID in January 2021, before the vaccination was available, and spent five months in the hospital in near-constant need of medical attention. “I was pretty close to dying. The doctors kept telling me, ‘Jeff, you’ve got to fight. You’re not fighting.’ I was in surrender mode. I was ready to go. I was dancing with my mortality,” he said.
His biggest joy comes from spending time with his wife and their three daughters and three grandkids — whom he says he appreciates even more after his health crisis. “Who would say, ‘I’d love some cancer and give me a dose of COVID? But my ability to receive all the love and give it was just heightened,” he says. “Everything was turned up in the most beautiful way.”
Bridges has since improved enough that he’s back to work, starring in FX’s The Old Man, which premieres on June 16.
(Via People)
