"1 in 8 women will get breast cancer.
Today, I'm the one,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus wrote on her Instagram back in 2017.
When the comedy queen went public with her diagnosis, everybody was astonished.
Years after the struggle, Julia revealed the secret fears and challenges that accompanied
her in the darkest hour.
Stay tuned!
In today’s episode, we’ll find out how the famous actress fought the battle of her
life and won against all odds.
From the writer in Seinfeld to the President in Veep - the comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus
made it up to the top of her career.
And when the news about her diagnosis appeared out of the blue, she was busy shooting a new
season of Veep.
After receiving the news from her doctor, she was overwhelmed, “I howled with laughter,
which turned into hysterical crying.
I mean, it’s a blow.”
Nobody believed a challenge so daunting would appear on the horizon.
Little did she know it would happen to HER.
As her life was exciting and hectic, Julia used to think that cancer is something that
happens to other people.
And when it happened, she couldn't believe the tragedy would hit so hard.
When explaining her mindset at that time, she revealed, "Don't misunderstand: I was
to-my-bones terrified.
But I didn't let myself—except for a couple of moments—go to a really dark place.
I didn't allow it."
The 60-year-old actress went through six rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy for
her treatment path.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been candid about her breast cancer journey, from her diagnosis
in September 2017 to the chemo treatment and subsequent surgery.
When asked if she ever gave in to fear or self-pity during her ordeal, she replied that
she didn’t let herself drown in gloomy thoughts about death.
Julia believed that surrendering to negativity would actually severely hurt her.
But how did she manage to stay calm and resilient in the face of terminal illness?
First, it came down to humor.
According to The New Yorker, Louis-Dreyfus experienced terrible side effects after each
of the six rounds of chemo she went through.
Even while heavily medicated, the actress got together with her family.
They laughed to make everyone feel better about the situation.
"When I was getting my hideous chemotherapy, I'd cram a bunch of friends and family into
the tiny treatment room with me....We really did have some great laughs."
Julia slipped in and out of consciousness and couldn't be aware of everything going
on in the room.
But that laughter turned out to be the best medicine.
It made Julia hold on tight to her life and appreciate the joy of irony.
Perhaps, her positive attitude and enthusiasm played their role in Julia's rapid recovery
to a larger extent than she could’ve expected.
It was emotionally challenging for her to cope with the illness.
That’s why Julia is grateful for the company of loved ones.
They tried to make the best out of this situation and keep fears of death at bay.
“It was like they had their hands underneath me holding me up,” she said in one of the
recent interviews.
“I think whenever a family goes through a crisis and comes out the other end, you’re
bound to have an intimacy that, perhaps, wasn’t quite there like it was before,” Julia shared
with fans after long years of battling cancer.
Louis-Dreyfus is married to writer-producer Brad Hall and has two sons in their 20s.
She met her husband in the 1980s when they were both students at Northwestern University.
Louis-Dreyfus auditioned for a theater production Hall was working on.
Sparks flew instantly.
When asked for any advice on relationships, Hall answered: "Marry Julia Louis-Dreyfus,"
to which Louis-Dreyfus added, "Find the right guy."
Could it be that simple?
And she truly believes that the support of her husband and sons made her feel like a
brighter future was coming.
“What we went through last year was horrific,” her mother, Judith Bowles, said in an interview.
“Her strength, just now, is coming back.”
As they were always close, she could feel the meaning of going through hardship and
avoiding despair at all costs.
Family surrounded her with love and empathy she desperately needed at the time.
Looking back, Louis-Dreyfus became aware that this experience bonded her even tighter with
the family.
While undergoing cancer treatment, Julia couldn’t stand waiting for the chance to come back
to work.
The production of the TV show Veep was one of the reasons she strived to return to everyday
life.
And it eventually felt like salvation.
Working as a team, creating something new, and staying authentic helped Julia restore
her spirit.
A close emotional bond with her colleagues empowered her to believe she can survive and
thrive afterwards.
Discussing the final season of Veep, the former Seinfeld star shared how happy she was working
with such an amazing team, “It’s bittersweet.
I adore these people and I adore the show and what we’ve been able to achieve with
it.”
Although Julia has always kept her personal life under the radar, she was candid and open
enough to share how it was to live on the verge of death.
She doesn’t regret any moment of it, and actually remains grateful for the hardship.
The illness made her reexamine the grace of life.
Today, she truly appreciates family support and dives into professional life deeper.
But what made Julia go public with her diagnosis?
The comedy queen worked with hundreds of colleagues on the set
of Veep.
She shared in the interview, "I had 150 or 200 people waiting to get going on this show.
So I thought, 'OK, let's make a virtue, if you can, of such a horrible moment.'
Julia couldn't remain private about the illness.
She was responsible for the Veep production, with dozens of people relying on the project.
She eventually turned that challenge into an opportunity to stay close to those who
supported her along the way.
But the battle against breast cancer also showed how lucky she was to have that love
and affection.
Julia actually was attracted to the idea of helping others cope with terminal illness.
Her prospects could be much gloomier without psychological help and protection from the
loved ones.
What's more, Julia couldn't imagine herself without the means to cover her healthcare.
She felt that the situation could get ten times worse in that scenario.
"When I consider, if somebody gets that news, and they don't have the means to cover their
healthcare, what the hell is that?
That is scarier," she said once.
Over the years, Julia became an advocate of universal health care.
She believes that everybody should have access to high-quality medical services as it's a
fundamental right, just like drinking clean water is.
Nobody can be denied proper treatment in a crisis like this.
Being able to help someone who's going through that dark hour brings Julia comfort and energy.
She likes the idea of fighting, calling herself and her supporters "fighters for a cure."
In one of the recent interviews, she spoke about her new cancer awareness initiative,
a limited-edition t-shirt she created with the designer Wes Gordon.
The shirt is being sold as a part of a cure program.
100 per cent of the profits will go to helping women pay for their breast reconstructions.
As Julia had a double mastectomy, she fights to increase the number of initiatives for
women’s health.
Over the years, she reached a lot of people and was able to raise money for cancer patients
who needed reconstructions.
She believes that women with no insurance coverage are those who can be in dire need
of help.
That’s why Julia feels inspired to provide others with care while empowering people to
be the change they want to see.
Today, Julia is a breast cancer survivor who’s not afraid to look back at daunting challenges.
Battling cancer made Julia see that life is short.
That’s why she wants to travel more with her husband, Brad Hall, and stay close to
her sons.
Julia was bravely candid about her diagnosis.
She publicly discussed her condition, increasing awareness of breast cancer screenings and
treatment.
The actress appears to be doing well physically and mentally today, but having to come to
grips with the possibility of her death has impacted the way she sees her life.
She’s different now.
“I have a different kind of view of my life now, having seen that edge,” she told The
New Yorker.
“I was a little more breezy before.
I was a little … breezy.”
It was life-saving for Julia to know that somebody was there for here, ready to help
and listen.
In 2021, The Veep star and her husband celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary.
Louis-Dreyfus shared a post on her Instagram in honor of the milestone.
"34 years in, keeping our head above water.
Love and love to the love of my life," she commented on the photos, one of which featured
her planting a sweet kiss on Hall's cheek as they both swam in the water.
Life couldn't be more generous to save them for each other, right?