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Bruce Springsteen’s Wife Patti Scialfa Reveals Blood Cancer Diagnosis: ‘I Have to Be Careful’
Bruce Springsteen‘s wife, Patti Scialfa, revealed she was diagnosed with blood cancer in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
The film premiered on Sunday, September 8, at the Toronto Film Festival. The E Street Band member got candid about her illness and why she has taken a step back from touring with the rock group in recent years.
“This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” Patti, 71, said. “Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”
She was first diagnosed with early stage multiple myeloma in 2018.
“I’ve been performing with this band for 40 years. With those first performances, it felt so good to be back onstage,” she said. “Touring has become a challenge for me. In 2018, well, Bruce and I were doing a play on Broadway. I was diagnosed with early stage multiple myeloma.”
The band’s latest tour kicked off in February 2023 and will end in July 2025. Patti has been a member of the group since 1984.
Despite her limited appearances on the band’s current tour, Patti said that performing on stage with Bruce lets fans in on “a side of our relationship that you usually don’t get to see.”
Last year, Patti explained that she was only going to be appearing at a few shows on the tour in order to focus on her solo album and spend time with her grandchildren.
“I didn’t feel as needed in a way because there were a lot of musicians on stage,” the singer told Asbury Park Press in October 2023. “I did the first couple of shows, and as I saw how it was all rolling, I thought, ‘This is good. This is completely intact. There’s not much room for me to add anything special.’”
Bruce, 74, has been married to Patti since 1991. They share kids Evan, Jessica and Sam. Their first grandchild was born to Sam and his partner in July 2022.
“And the main thing was I have a record that I couldn’t have finished when Bruce was home because he’s in the studio all the time. So I took that opportunity to do my record,” she added.
Bruce has also faced medical issues since kicking off the tour, causing him to postpone multiple tour dates after battling peptic ulcer disease and facing voice issues.
“He’s 74 and still performing to packed crowds and getting good reviews for the show, too, but it wasn’t too long ago when he couldn’t even sing,” an insider told Closer in August. “He was too sick, and his stomach hurt too much from the peptic ulcer. Since then, he’s changed his routine and not sweating the small stuff because stress is a killer.”
“The biggest problem is that his ulcer pain can flare up at any time and he’s got to pull back and address it,” the source added. “It just guts him to have to disappoint a stadium crowd by canceling a show right under their noses. Bruce comes from a working-class home and he knows fans take time off work, hire babysitters and book hotels to see his shows.”
Road Diary is set to premiere on Hulu and Disney+ on October 25.
