HEALTH'Charlie's Angels' Star Cheryl Ladd, 74, Recalls Going 'Bald' During Secret Battle With 'Aggressive Form' of Cancer
Cheryl Ladd admitted her cancer battle was a 'long, long, hard road.'
April 7 2026, Published 10:44 a.m. ET
Actress Cheryl Ladd revealed she secretly battled b----- cancer.
The actress' news came at a Monday, April 6, PaleyFest event in Los Angeles, Calif., where she celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Charlie's Angels TV show with costars Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson.
Cheryl Ladd Calls Cancer Battle a 'Humbling Experience'
Cheryl Ladd revealed she secretly battled an 'aggressive form' of b----- cancer.
"Mine was an aggressive form," Ladd revealed, according to a news outlet.
"I was bald. It was a humbling experience and yet I have a wonderful husband …he was there for me at every turn," she gushed of her spouse, Brian Russell, whom she wed in 1981. "Eventually I started to get little sprouts of hair. It was a long, long, hard road, but you just get on with it."
Fortunately, she made a full recovery, giving an onstage shout-out to her "wonderful doctors."
Both of Her Costars Also Battled Cancer
Cancer survivor Jaclyn Smith sent costar Cheryl Ladd her wigs to help her feel better about her hair loss.
Both Smith, 80, and Jackson, 77, also dealt with b----- cancer.
"The first thing I did was send her my wigs," Smith revealed of how she reacted when Ladd informed her of her own diagnosis. "She was so brave. She did have a very aggressive form."
"Early detection is the key," Smith noted. "Every minute is important."
"If you find a little something in either of your b------, don't ignore it," Ladd added. "It might be nothing. But go quickly and find out for yourself."
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
'Early Detection Is Key'
Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith also endured cancer battles and stressed the importance of 'early detection.'
Jackson endured a cancer diagnosis as well.
"It’s really important to understand and embrace not being afraid of getting a mammogram," Jackson shared. "Early detection is key. Find it early enough and you’ll probably be all right."
Ladd didn't reveal the timeline of her health woes, while Smith was diagnosed in 2002. Due to early detection, she was able to heal through a lumpectomy and radiation.
Jackson has battled b----- cancer twice.
The Trio Relied on Each Other for Support
The original 'Charlie's Angels' ran from 1976 to 1981.
While sitting down with Today ahead of the L.A. event, Smith revealed the trio's shared experience strengthened their bond.
"It just connects you because you know what they’re going through," she expressed. "And that’s when I talk about the power of girlfriends."
"I felt the same way," noted Ladd. "I thought that showing women who were for each other, not competing with each other, that we were all for each other."
"Nobody ever had to say, ‘I’ve got your back.' That was just the way it was," Jackson recalled.
