One of the all time great Hollywood actresses has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Jane Fonda, 84, shared the news in an Instagram post on Friday. “So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share. I’ve been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and have started chemo treatments,” she said.
Despite the weight of the diagnosis, the Grace and Frankie actress said she was optimistic about the future.
“This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky.”
She also shared how fortunate she was to “have health insurance and access to the best doctors and treatment” and shared she knew she was privileged as a celebrity. She’s been on chemo for about six months, she said, and the treatments are going “quite well.”
“Almost every family in America has had to deal with cancer at one time or another and far too many don’t have access to the quality health care I am receiving and this is not right,” she said.
Fonda is also a climate change activist, and she’s been arrested numerous times for protesting the government’s response to climate change. She said regardless of her health that activism will continue.
“The midterms are looming, and they are beyond consequential so you can count on me to be right there together with you as we grow our army of climate champions,” she said.
Fonda, instead of having a pity party, said she was learning from the experience and “paying attention to the lessons it holds for me.”
She said one of the main things she learned so far is the importance of the people around her. “One thing it’s shown me already is the importance of community,” she said in the post.
This isn’t the first time the actress has faced the looming spectre of cancer, either; in an interview with British Vogue in 2019, she said she’s had “a lot of cancer” over the years, and that she had to “frequently go to my skin doctor and have things cut off me by a surgeon” because of her love of the sun.
She had a growth removed from her lip in 2018 and had a separate cancer issue in 2010 when doctors removed a lump from her breast, according to People.
The actress received numerous messages of support from a bunch of celebrities, including model Naomi Campbell, who wrote “GRACEFUL QUEEN. @janefonda thank you , even at this difficult time you are sharing with the Us . It’s so important to have a positive mind set !! And you do , GODBLESS!! you My thoughts and prayers are with you.”