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Jeff Bridges Shares ‘Great’ Update on His Health After Lymphoma Battle and Severe Illness
Jeff Bridges shared a “great” update on his health after his battle with lymphoma and a severe bout of COVID-19.
“It’s amazing the way the mind can forget all that stuff,” the Tron actor told Page Six exclusively at the 49th Chaplin Award Gala at Lincoln Center on Monday, April 29.
Jeff, 74, went on to say that overcoming his illness was a “learning experience.” Now, he doesn’t “think too much about the past.”
The Big Lebowski star first announced his cancer diagnosis in a post on X in October 2020.
“I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma,” he wrote. “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.”
“I’m profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends,” he added. “Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. And, while I have you, please remember to go vote. Because we are all in this together.”
Jeff’s was informed of his diagnosis after feeling stomach pain during an at-home workout.
“I had a 12-by-9-in. tumor in my body. Like a child in my body. It didn’t hurt or anything,” he told People in May 2022.
After undergoing chemotherapy, Jeff faced a near-fatal bout of COVID-19. His case was particularly debilitating due to his weakened immune system. Jeff spent five weeks in the hospital, unable to breathe without an oxygen feed.
“I had no defenses. That’s what chemo does — it strips you of all your immune system. I had nothing to fight it,” he told the outlet. “COVID made my cancer look like nothing.”
“I was pretty close to dying,” the True Grit actor said. “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.”
Jeff received convalescent plasma, “therapy uses blood from people who’ve recovered from an illness to help others get better,” per Mayo Clinic. His cancer is now in remission.
“The nurses and doctors were just spectacular, man,” he reflected in a May 2023 interview with AARP of his team of medical professionals. “They worked hard, they shared information, they appreciated different opinions. It was so focused, so simple, so beautiful.”
