‘Grey's Anatomy’ star reveals devastating health diagnosis after character suffered same disease
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star James Pickens Jr. is using both his on-screen storyline and his personal experience to spark a crucial conversation about cancer awareness. He hopes to draw attention especially among Black men, who face a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. The longtime actor, known to millions as Dr. Richard Webber since the series premiered in 2005, recently revealed that the show’s season 22 midseason finale mirrored a journey from his real life. In the episode, Webber receives a devastating cancer diagnosis, as per ScreenRant It’s an emotional twist for viewers who have followed the character for nearly two decades.
Off camera, Pickens has quietly been handling his own health battle. In a candid conversation with Black Health Matters, Pickens shared that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year. The news, while unsettling, didn’t come as a complete shock. The disease, he explained, has deeply affected his family for generations. “It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family,” he said, “My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it.”
Despite the widespread family history, Pickens expressed gratitude that every relative he knows who has faced prostate cancer is still alive. He emphasized that early detection played a major role in that outcome. “I’ve got a 90-year-old first cousin, who’s still alive, actually; he had it. His son has it. A couple of his brothers had it. No one, as far as I know, has succumbed to it,” he noted. Because of this legacy, Pickens made routine testing a non-negotiable part of his life. For more than three decades, he has undergone yearly physicals, and for the last 30 years, he’s included PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screenings. That vigilance turned out to be lifesaving.
During an appointment earlier this year, his doctor noticed a concerning rise in his PSA levels, prompting a referral to a urologist. An MRI revealed a suspicious area, and a subsequent biopsy confirmed the presence of a tumor. Fortunately, the cancer was caught at an exceptionally early stage. “We caught it really early, and so they thought that would be the best route to take. I do have a rare variant that you don’t see very often. They wanted to err on the side of caution and keep an eye on it,” Pickens said. “It was rare enough that they wanted to make sure that they were crossing all the T’s and dotting all their I’s. But they hadn’t seen one that was detected as early as mine.”
After discussing treatment options, he chose surgery to remove the tumor. Now cancer-free, Pickens has shifted into advocacy mode. In a video posted by Black Health Matters, he stressed how vital regular screenings are. As ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ prepares to return with new episodes on January 8, 2026, fans will continue to see his character confront a storyline shaped, in part, by the actor’s own reality.
