William Shatner, 95, Reveals He and Daughter Melanie, 61, Secretly Battled Stage 4 Cancer at the Same Time

William Shatner opened up about one of the most difficult chapters of his life, revealing he and his daughter Melanie Shatner Gretsch were both diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at nearly the same time.

The Star Trek icon, 95, and his youngest daughter, 61, shared their emotional journey in a new interview, revealing they are both now cancer-free after undergoing extensive treatment.

Melanie was first diagnosed with HER2-positive stage 4 b----- cancer in 2022 after discovering a small lump despite receiving a clear mammogram just months earlier.

Testing showed the disease had spread to lymph nodes in her chest.

As Melanie neared the end of her grueling treatment, which included chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and radiation, William received devastating news of his own.

The actor was diagnosed with stage 4 malignant melanoma after doctors discovered cancer had spread to his lungs and brain.

"They said, 'You got cancer. If you came in later, you would have been dead,'" William recalled to People. "See? That's my life. I think the universe is taking care of me."

During chemotherapy, Melanie admitted she reached an emotional breaking point and called her father in the middle of the night, believing she was dying.

"I was having a moment and was hysterical," she remembered. "I called you and said, 'I think I'm dying.'"

Just 15 minutes later, William arrived at her home and comforted her with what she described as a "daddy bear hug."

"He said, 'This is going to be a blip in your life. You're going to get through this, and it'll be a memory,'" Melanie shared.

The actor also stepped in to ease another burden, telling his daughter not to worry about the mounting medical bills.

"You said to me, 'I do not want you to worry. Just send me the bills,'" she recalled.

Following his diagnosis, William underwent surgery to remove the melanoma from his face before receiving two years of immunotherapy to treat the cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain.

Despite the devastating news, Melanie said her father refused to slow down.

"He wouldn't stop his life. He kept working and moving forward," she said. "Whenever he was home, Joel and I would bring dinner to him and watch movies, just always made sure that he's not alone."

Doctors credited recent advances in immunotherapy with helping eradicate William's tumors, with his care team noting he responded remarkably well to treatment.

By late 2024, both William and Melanie had been declared cancer-free, a milestone that left the father and daughter overwhelmed with emotion.

"It was the third time in my life I had heard him cry," Melanie said of telling her father she had no evidence of disease.

The pair are now using their experience to help others through their new podcast, 'No Time but Now,' where they'll interview health experts and fellow survivors.