While privacy is not something granted in show business, the 'Black Panther' actor and a few other late public figures from entertainment industry managed to keep their bouts with cancer under wraps.
- Sep 6, 2020
AceShowbiz - Goodbye is the hardest word to say. Still, many hoped they had the chance to say it to their loved and closed ones before they're gone forever. Sadly, not everyone can bid their final farewell to some idolized public figures, who chose to keep their health issues under wraps despite having been diagnosed with terminal illness, like Chadwick Boseman.
Despite starring in one of highest-grossing Marvel films, the "Black Panther" star had been keeping his personal live relatively private until his final days. But he's not the first and only celebrity who had been doing so. While the world is still reeling from the big loss of the SAG Award-winning actor, let's remember the stars who kept their cancer battle private until their passing.
1. Chadwick Boseman
Fans had been worrying about Chadwick Boseman's health when he was visibly thinner in the last few months and the worst they feared actually came when on August 28, it was announced that the 43-year-old passed away after battling colon cancer for four years. Inspired by his mom, the "Marshall" star chose to keep his health issue under wraps while he continued working on films like "21 Bridges", "Black Panther", "Da 5 Bloods" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom". Only a few of his very-close inner circle were aware of his cancer diagnosis. Thus, the news of his passing sent shock waves to his colleagues, who have since posted tributes to him on social media.
2. Wes Craven
One of pioneers in horror genre, Wes Craven is best known for creating the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise and the "Scream" franchise. His other notable works included "The Hills Have Eyes" (1977), "Swamp Thing" (1982) and "Vampire in Brooklyn" (1995). Craven last directed a movie, "Scream 4", in 2011, and little did people know that in the following years after he stepped away from camera, he had a private battle with brain cancer. He passed away on August 30, 2015, four weeks after his 76th birthday.
3. Donna Summer
Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco who gained popularity in the 1970s, died on May 17, 2012 at age 63 from lung cancer. Asbestos was blamed for her illness as her apartment was near ground zero and she was home at the time of the 9/11 attack, with many firefighters and first responders' lung issues being linked to the attack years after the incident. However, some attributed the cancer to Donna's smoking during her younger years and her continued exposure to second-hand smoking while performing in clubs. She did not openly discuss her battle with lung cancer, so the news of her death came as a surprise to many.
4. Michael Crichton
Author and filmmaker Michael Crichton has sold his books over 200 million copies worldwide, included his popular novels "Jurassic Park" and "Congo", which have been adapted into feature films. Graduating with an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, he also created the hit medical series "ER". Unlike his works which were highly publicized, Michael chose to keep his life private and so did with his cancer battle, after he was diagnosed with lymphoma in early 2008. He died at age 66 on November 4, 2008, though his physicians and relatives were hopeful that he would recover after undergoing chemotherapy.
5. Sherman Hemsley
People may still recognize Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson on the CBS television series "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons". During the peak of his fame, he also starred as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series "Amen" and as B.P. Richfield on the ABC series "Dinosaurs". However, little was known about his final days. A shy and intensely private man who was described by some as reclusive, he avoided the Hollywood limelight and little of his personal life was public knowledge. In fact, only a few people knew he had a malignant mass on his lung, for which chemotherapy and radiation had been recommended before he developed "superior vena cava syndrome," which led to his death on July 24, 2012.
6. Alan Rickman
Unlike his widely-loathed "Harry Potter" character Severus Snape, Alan Rickman was loved by many. Thus, his death was mourned by numerous friends and colleagues, who were deeply shocked by the unexpected news. The awards-winning actor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after he suffered a minor stroke in August 2015. He, however, revealed that he had terminal cancer to only his closest confidants. He passed away several months later, on January 14, 2016, with his co-stars like Ralph Fiennes and Jason Isaacs expressing their surprise at the devastating news.
7. Sydney Pollack
Concerns about Sydney Pollack's health surfaced in 2007, when he stepped down from directing HBO's TV movie "Recount", but not much was known about his condition at the time. He died on May 25, 2008 at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his family. It was confirmed that cancer was the cause of his death and he quietly fought the disease for 10 months. A prolific director, producer and actor, he kept working after his cancer diagnosis, with some of his latest projects, "Recount" and "Leatherheads", for which he was credited as executive producer, being released in 2008.
8. Elisabeth Sladen
Elisabeth Sladen captivated the heart of young viewers in the 1970s with her portrayal of investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith on "Doctor Who". After semi-retiring for 20 years to bring up a family, she returned to the public eye in the 2000s with her own "Doctor Who" spin-off series, "The Sarah Jane Adventures". Sadly for fans, their favorite show had to end in 2011 after the actress died on April 19 of that year. She was diagnosed with cancer two months earlier in February, but chose to deal with it in privacy, making the news of her passing a huge shock to many.
9. Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston might have had her own share of being under the spotlight due to her acting career and being married to actor John Travolta, but she wasn't one who was keen to share her health issue to public. After staying relatively under the radar for the past few years, she shocked everyone with news of her passing from cancer on July 12. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer two years before and had been receiving treatment, but she chose to keep her battle private. She was at her home in Anthony, Florida when she died.
10. David Bowie
Just four days before Alan Rickman's death, the world was already shocked with the news of David Bowie's passing. Much like the British actor, the English musician, who was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2014, did not disclose his diagnosis and had been privately battling the disease, until his death on January 10, 2016. He kept working despite being weakened by his illness, with his final album "Blackstar" being released on his 69th birthday, two days before his death. According to a documentary which debuted one year later to mark the anniversary of his death, the rocker only discovered his cancer was terminal and that his treatment was to be stopped three months before he died.
