William Shatner and daughter Melanie reveal overlapping cancer fights
The Star Trek actor and his daughter told People they were both treated for stage 4 cancer and have been cancer-free since late 2024.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
William Shatner and his daughter Melanie Shatner have disclosed that they were fighting stage 4 cancers at the same time, telling People that both have been cancer-free since late 2024.
In the People interview, the 95-year-old Star Trek actor said he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in June 2023. Melanie, 61, had already been undergoing intensive treatment for metastatic breast cancer, according to People.
Melanie told People she first spotted a lump on her father’s cheek. Shatner said he initially dismissed it as a blocked salivary gland, but the growth continued. At the urging of a plastic surgeon friend, he had the tumor removed.
People reported that Shatner then received immunotherapy for two years after the cancer spread to his brain and lungs.
Melanie described the emotional strain of facing her own illness while worrying about her father’s health. “I remember vividly thinking, ‘I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time,’” she told People.
Shatner said doctors warned him how serious the diagnosis had become. “They said, ‘You got cancer. If you came in later, you would have been dead,’” he told People. “I think the universe is taking care of me.”
Melanie’s diagnosis came first. According to People, she learned in July 2022 that she had breast cancer that had spread to lymph nodes in her chest. Shatner told the magazine he was “devastated” when he learned his daughter was ill.
Over the 18 months after her diagnosis, Melanie underwent chemotherapy, 30 radiation treatments and a double mastectomy, People reported. She said surviving cancer changed the way she sees her life. “I’m not so afraid anymore, and there’s so much freedom and joy,” she told the magazine.
Melanie also recalled a late-night visit from her father during a hard stretch of chemotherapy. She told People that Shatner drove to her home and gave her what she called a “daddy bear hug.” She said he told her, “This is going to be a blip in your life. You’re going to get through this, and it’ll be a memory.”
Shatner told People that life feels different now. “I’m thinking of the miracle of a hummingbird, and of my dog taking a ball, and my children,” he said. “I’m aware of the magic of it all.”
The father and daughter are also launching a wellness podcast, No Time But Now. According to the podcast’s official website, the series will feature the Shatners speaking with health experts and survivors, with the first episode scheduled for July 29.
People also reported that Shatner has more projects coming: two books, William Shatner and You and Wisdom & Worries, due in September and October, plus two albums, Love & Other Mysteries and the tentatively titled What the ‘F’ Is Metal, expected by early 2027.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.