The 'High School Musical' alum revealed her father's cancer diagnosis while accepting an award at the 2015 Industy Dance Awards.
- August 21, 2015
AceShowbiz -
Vanessa Hudgens has revealed her father has stage four cancer. The 26-year-old actress announced the sad news when accepting an award for Breakthrough Performer at the 2015 Industry Dance Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, August 19.
"Last year, my boyfriend, Austin [Butler], lost his mom, Lori, to cancer, and my dad has just been recently diagnosed with stage four cancer," she said onstage. "Let me tell you, I hate cancer. I hate cancer with every cell of my being."
She continued, "This award, it means a lot to me but I dedicate it to my boyfriend's mom, Lori, my dad, and to all the families out there who are struggling with this, because it really takes a strong person and a strong family to be able to help those out who are going through this."
The awards event benefits The Circle of Hope, a charity for dancers who have survived cancer.
Last month, Vanessa asked fans to pray for her dad while sharing a picture of her and her father on Instagram. "My daddy and I Please pray for his healing!!! The more prayers the better," she captioned the photo.
Also at the Industry Dance Awards, the "High School Musical" alum talked about her role in NBC's upcoming live musical production "Grease Live". "She's deep, you know," she told EW about playing Rizzo. "She's a toughie. So I'm excited to kind of sink my teeth in to that. That's a character I've never played before so it'll be fun and a challenge."
Stars at the 2015 Industry Dance Awards:
