Blythe Danner reveals she secretly fought and won over same cancer that killed husband Bruce Paltrow
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Legendary actress Blythe Danner revealed that she quietly fought deadly cancer and was diagnosed with same one that took the life of her husband, Bruce Paltrow in 2002. The 'I’ll See You in My Dreams' star told in an interview that she has beaten the adenoid cystic carcinoma cancer and is "fine and dandy" since then.
“I started feeling very woozy and I was forgetting everything. And then I felt a lump in my neck, right next to where Bruce had found his [in 1999],” told Danner to People. She added, “Everyone is touched by cancer in some way, but it’s unusual for a couple to have the same cancer.” Sharing her inner turmoil after being diagnosed with the same disease in March 2018, the 79-year-old actress shared she “looked up at heaven and said to Bruce, ‘Are you lonely up there?'” She added, “It’s a sneaky disease. But I’m fine and dandy now. And I’m lucky to be alive.”
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Danner and Bruce Paltrow are parents to famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 50, and Jake Paltrow, 47. The ‘Meet the Parents’ star didn’t reveal it to her children until she figured out the disease and its complications completely. “I was obviously very shocked,” Gwyneth said. “It was scary. And it felt really eerie because it was so similar [to my dad’s],” she added.
Danner had to go through three surgeries to get rid of oral cancer, while she also went for alternative treatments. Finally, in 2020 she was declared cancer-free. Reflecting on her mother’s fight against cancer, the Goop founder said, “She went through it with so much grace. I was amazed at how strong she was able to be.”
Though it was tough on her system and closely witnessing the battle her husband had to face with the same diagnosis, Danner says it never scared her. “I wasn’t quaking in my boots. You never get over that kind of loss. Bruce was the heart of our family. And life is so much paler without him around. But grief is the price we pay for love,” she claimed.
Danner is closely working with the Oral Cancer Foundation, which aims to raise awareness of oral and oropharyngeal cancers. It is estimated that around 54,000 Americans are diagnosed each year. "Screening for the early signs by a dental professional is quick, inexpensive, and painless," says Brian Hill, the Foundation's Executive Director. He is also advocating for vaccinating children against HPV, a virus that can cause cancer in the mouth.