Does Denzel Washington Have Cancer? About His Illness and Health Update

There are various rumors that Denzel Washington has an illness, and many are curious about his health update.

Washington is an American actor, producer, and director. Washington has garnered several awards over his four-decade career, including a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Silver Bears.

In 2016, he received the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award, followed by the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, and The New York Times ranked him the finest actor of the twenty-first century in 2020.

In 2022, Washington was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is still active in the industry and is a part of Ridley Scott‘s upcoming movie Gladiator 2 alongside Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Derek Jacobi. The movie is a sequel to Scott’s Gladiator (2000).

In 2023, Washington produced The Piano Lesson, a Netflix film adaption of August Wilson’s play of the same name starring John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, and Samuel L. Jackson.

As said before, there is a rumor going on that Washington has a severe illness, and his health is not doing good. As a result, people often ask, “Does Denzel Washington have cancer?” and “Is Denzel Washington sick?”

Looking at how active he is, netizens are confused regarding his health. Does he actually have cancer, or is the news about his illness and health just a rumor? Here is all we know about it!

Does Denzel Washington have cancer?

No, Washington does not have cancer, and he is not sick. He is not plagued with any illness and his health is doing good.

Washington was the subject of false rumors in December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. These accusations were spread by several sites. In October 2023, one such article appeared in the digital SCP Magazine.

Denzel Washington does not have cancer. (Source: )

They wrote, “Washington’s family was shocked to learn in December 2019 that he had terminal cancer. Washington is currently spending his last days in the hospital after receiving chemotherapy for a prolonged length of time, according to his family.”

The identical assertion was made in a YouTube video titled ‘Actor Denzel Washington was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he left fans with endless grief.’ The video was uploaded by Cinematic Legends in September 2023 and has over three thousand views.

Despite what the title suggests, the video doesn’t address this purported illness or his health. Rather, it only focuses on the actor’s professional success. 

The stated diagnosis was not well explained in either the article or the YouTube video, nor was there any proof provided regarding his alleged illness and health. 

There is no proof, at the time of writing, that the actor had received a fatal cancer diagnosis. If Washington had cancer or any severe illness, his family, friends, and close ones would said something about it.

Since no one has given any update on Washington and his health nor confirmed the rumors of a cancer diagnosis, everything is mere speculation.

Celebrities who spoke about their cancer

While Washington has not talked about his health, various celebrities have opened up about their illness and revealed that they had cancer.

For instance, Jane Fonda has been diagnosed with cancer a couple of times. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and had a mastectomy. In January 2018, the actress appeared in an interview with BUILD Series wearing a bandage on her lip.

She explained that she had recently had a tumor removed. She said, “I just want to explain the bandage. I just had cancer taken from my lip. I thought it was going to heal in time before I came before you, but it’s fine.”

In September 2022, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a lymphatic malignancy. She announced on Instagram that she has started chemotherapy for it.

Likewise, Ben Stiller announced that he is cancer-free after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014. In 2014, the actor had surgery to remove a tumor after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

When he appeared on Today in 2017, he updated fans on his health, revealing that he was “three years, now, cancer-free.” Stiller stated that he shared his personal story to urge men to get early detection screenings.

Another celebrity on the list is Olivia Newton-John. She often talked about her several cancer diagnoses before she died in 2022. She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992.

She went through nine months of chemotherapy and had a mastectomy. In 2013, doctors discovered that the disease had returned and spread to her shoulder. 

Newton-John revealed in September 2018 that she will postpone her North American concert tour after being diagnosed with cancer for the third time. She stated on that a tumor had metastasized in her lower back and that she was receiving radiation treatment.

The actress died at the age of 73 in August 2022.

Christina Applegate has had many operations after being diagnosed with cancer in 2008. In 2017, the actress had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a precaution since she had the BRCA1 gene mutation, which raises her chance of getting cancer.

Hugh Jackman initially revealed having skin cancer in 2013. The actor has been open about his health difficulties, and he has used his fight to encourage others to apply sunscreen. 

According to The Independent, he has been diagnosed with cancer six times.

Michael C. Hall was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010. He told The New York Times in 2010 that he was concerned about dying early after his father died of prostate cancer at the age of 39.

The actor stated that he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 38 and went through chemotherapy. 

“I think I’ve been preoccupied since I was 11, and my father died, with the idea of the age 39: Would I live that long? What would that be like? To discover that I had the Hodgkin’s was alarming, but at the same time, I felt kind of bemused, like: Wow. Huh. How interesting,” he said.

Similarly, many other celebrities have been open about their health and illness to encourage their fans and followers to take care of their health and get regular check-ups.