After being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Jeff Bridges has been candid about the ups and downs with his health.
In October 2020, Bridges took to social media to break down his diagnosis. “As the Dude would say.. New S—T has come to light,” the actor tweeted while channeling his The Big Lebowski character. “I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good.”
At the time, the True Grit star confirmed that he was currently in treatment, writing, “I’m profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.”
After going into remission, Bridges revealed that he went through some challenges when he tested positive for COVID-19.
“Lots has gone down since my last installment. My cancer is in remission — the 9″ x 12″ mass has shrunk down to the size of a marble,” he wrote via Twitter in September 2021. “Covid kicked my ass pretty good, but I’m double vaccinated and feeling much better now. I heard that the vaccine can help folks with [long-term COVID]. Maybe that’s the cause of my quick improvement.”
The Golden Globe winner noted that he was “working out with a great therapist” while on the road to recovery. “We’ve been concentrating on getting me off of the oxygen assistance, which until recently I’ve been needing to walk around,” he explained. “The sound it makes reminds me of Darth Vader.”
According to Bridges, it was important for him to build up his strength to walk his daughter Hayley Bridges down the aisle on her wedding day. Following Hayley’s nuptials to Justin Shane that same year, the Oscar winner recalled the process of being able to walk at the ceremony.
“The first goal was how long can I stand up,” he recalled during an interview with The Independent in November 2022. Jeff said he was only able to stand for 45 seconds at the time. After working with a trainer, he was able to increase the amount of steps he took and stabilized his breathing while using oxygen assistance.
“Finally, one day I said, ‘Maybe I can do it, you know.’ And it turns out I not only got to walk her down the aisle, but I got to do the wedding dance. That was terrific,” he added.
Scroll down for his candid comments about his health battle:
