NEWS'Private' Julia Louis-Dreyfus Felt She Had to Go Public With Her Cancer Battle: 'I Wouldn't Have Done That'
Julia Louis-Dreyfus reflected on why she revealed her breast cancer diagnosis.
Dec. 19 2025, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
Julia Louis-Dreyfus faced a difficult decision when she learned she had b------ cancer. The Emmy-winning actress felt compelled to share her diagnosis to explain the pause of her hit show, Veep.
During her recent appearance on the "Good Hang" podcast, host Amy Poehler praised Louis-Dreyfus for going public with her health struggles, stating it was “very helpful for a lot of people” and not something she was obligated to disclose.
“I was kind of backed into a corner on that one, because we had to shut our show down,” Louis-Dreyfus, 64, admitted. “It’s funny how that worked out, because normally I would not have done that. I’m very private.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus chose to go 'public' with her b----- cancer diagnosis.
Once the actress realized filming needed to stop to focus on her health, she also felt the weight of the impact on her crew. “250 people weren’t going to be working,” she explained.
Though she felt pressure to reveal her illness, Louis-Dreyfus now views the experience positively, grateful for the support she received from others facing similar journeys.
The star was able to 'help' others due to her cancer battle.
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“The good thing about doing that was that I did have this incredible experience of people reaching out to me — asking me about my experience going through the b----- cancer; for advice. And I was able to help,” she said.
“There was something unbelievably comforting about being able to do that on the other side of this trauma,” she added. “There is a lot to be said in self-soothing by soothing others. For real. I don’t mean to sound all Pollyannaish. I actually think it’s true.”
The actress said she was worried about the hundreds of crew members affected from her illness.
Diagnosed in September 2017, Louis-Dreyfus’s HBO sitcom Veep aired for seven successful seasons from 2012 to 2019. One year after her initial announcement, she revealed she was in remission following a double mastectomy and six rounds of chemotherapy.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus later found comfort in helping others facing cancer.
Reflecting on her journey, she expressed gratitude for the support she received from her cast and crew when they reconvened for the final season.
"I really appreciate everyone coming back and working it out to come back,” she shared in an Instagram video. “I’m very grateful. Thank you very much. Love you guys Season seven!”
In 2019, Veep creator David Mandel remarked that her illness actually benefitted the show, providing them with valuable time for a stronger final season.
