Jeff Bridges' shocking revelation: 'I was close to dying'
Jeff Bridges made a recent revelation about his health condition that shocked everyone who heard it. The story that preceded it almost makes your heart stop. Just nearly, the world had to do without this great and likable actor.
In October 2020, Jeff Bridges announced via Twitter that he had cancer. "I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it's a serious disease... the prognosis is good," he assured.
Photo: Twitter - @thejeffbridges
It all started one morning when the actor noticed "something strange in his stomach." Doctors said he had a tumor measuring 30 x 23 cm (9 by 12 inches): "It was like a baby in my body, but it didn't hurt at all."
The next step was to start chemotherapy and see how the treatment worked. The tumor regressed and Jeff Bridges was relieved.
Photo: Twitter - @thejeffbridges
But then, in January 2021, everything changed. For the worse. Soon enough, cancer wouldn't be the most worrisome disease to affect the actor.
The actor, born in 1949, recently gave an extensive and candid interview to People magazine, in which he recalled how the combination of cancer and coronavirus almost cost him his life.
With the vaccine still in development, Jeff Bridges contracted Covid-19 and his health deteriorated alarmingly to the point of his life being at risk.
Jeff Bridges fell ill with Covid-19, in the midst of his chemotherapy treatment. Alarmingly, the virus worsened his symptoms, in what he himself defined as a "strange dream."
"I had no defenses. Chemotherapy takes away your entire immune system. I had nothing to fight it off and it made my cancer look like nothing," recalls the actor.
Photo: jeffbridges.com
The actor spent five eternal and hard months in the hospital. He endured intense and continuous pains. "I was pretty close to dying," he says.
In fact, he assumed his life was over. "I was in surrender mode, ready to go. I was dancing with my mortality."
Fortunately, a plasma treatment brought improvement, for the first time in months. With the help of a physical therapist, Jeff Bridges began to take small steps and gradually regain mobility and muscles.
Photo: Twitter - @thejeffbridges
As the actor tells People magazine, it seems like it all happened several years ago, but it was in 2021. Fortunately, Jeff Bridges is now back with great hair, strength, and renewed spirits.
This experience helped the actor to value his family even more. Married to Susan Geston, also an actress, since 1977, he has three children and three grandchildren.
Photo: Twitter - @thejeffbridges
In fact, in hindsight, Jeff Bridges positively values the hard experience: “It increased my ability to receive all the love and give.”
Photo: Twitter - @thejeffbridges
Jeff Bridges has more than 50 films under his belt. His career started in 1951, when, as a child, he appeared as an extra in 'The Company She Keeps.'
Pictured, Jeff Bridges, in 1971, in the movie 'The Last Picture Show'.
He was nominated 7 times for an Oscar and won the coveted statuette in the Best Actor category for his wonderful work in 'Crazy Heart'. In the film, Jeff Bridges played a troubled country musician. The actor is also a musician in real life and has two CDs released.