What happened to Kylie Minogue? Netflix documentary brings major health issue to light
Kylie Minogue laid her heart bare in her latest documentary titled 'KYLIE' on Netflix. One of the biggest revelations from the documentary was regarding her health. Back in 2005, the singer was first diagnosed with breast cancer. The diagnosis attracted intense media coverage worldwide. The then-Australian Prime Minister John Howard also came forward and stated his support. Minogue eventually beat the disease, and her story led to an uptick in the number of women coming out for regular checkups. She shares in the three-part documentary that her breast cancer returned in 2021. This time, she chose to go through the treatment away from public scrutiny.
In a sit-down interview, Minogue shared how she received the diagnosis, so that the story can help others. “Making this documentary has meant looking back at so many pivotal moments in my life, and this was another one. I also know there will be someone out there who will benefit from a gentle reminder to do their check-ups," the singer explained. “As part of my routine check-ups in 2021, I was diagnosed with a second primary breast cancer. Early detection was very helpful, and I am so grateful to be able to say that I am well today,” she added.
Minogue claimed that she did not share the second diagnosis with the public then, as she did not have the strength. Back then, her career had hit another milestone with her Grammy-winning 2023 single “Padam Padam,” but her personal life was in shatters due to the disease. “I don’t feel obliged to tell the world, and actually, I just couldn’t at the time because I was just a shell of a person,” Minogue explained. “I didn’t want to leave the house again at one point. ‘Padam Padam’ opened so many doors for me, but on the inside, I knew that cancer wasn’t just a blip in my life. And I really just wanted to say what happened so I can let go of it. I’d sit through interviews and every opportunity I thought, ‘now’s the time’, but I kept it to myself.”
After recovering from the second bout, Minogue wanted to talk about the ordeal, but could not figure out how. “I’ve been trying to find the right time to say it - I just couldn’t at the time. I was just a shell of a person,” she shared. When the singer could not find a way to talk about it, her artistic chops gave her an outlet to express her feelings. She joined hands with long-time collaborator Richard 'Biff' Stannard and came up with the song 'Story' for her 2023 album 'Tension,' which reflects her hardships at that point. The song had lyrics like “I had a secret that I kept to myself … Turn another page, baby take the stage.” The plan was to share the meaning behind the song. “When I started writing Story, I knew one day I would share what the meaning behind the song was. Finding the right time to do so was tricky. I didn’t imagine it would be in a documentary, but perhaps it found its own time and place,” the singer said. The documentary currently streaming on Netflix also covers other highs and lows of Minogue's life.
