Jeana Keough’s daughter says RHOC alum has tongue cancer
Kara Bosworth says her mother is in chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy after the cancer spread to her lymph nodes.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Jeana Keough, an original cast member of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County, has been diagnosed with tongue cancer at 70, according to her daughter, Kara Bosworth.
Bosworth shared the update on a GoFundMe page created to help pay for Keough’s treatment and day-to-day costs while she is unable to work. The fundraiser says Keough is undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy after doctors found the cancer had spread.
According to Bosworth’s account on the fundraising page, Keough first noticed a painful spot on her tongue a few months ago while visiting Bosworth and her husband, Shane, in Florida. Bosworth wrote that her mother believed a tooth was irritating the area and had gone to a dentist more than once to have the tooth adjusted.
A biopsy later confirmed cancer, Bosworth said. Keough then had surgery to remove it, but doctors recommended a second operation to take out lymph nodes. Bosworth said that was when the family learned the cancer had spread.
“What we thought would be a one-time surgery became a full cancer battle,” Bosworth wrote on the GoFundMe page.
She said Keough is now in her fifth week of treatment. Bosworth described the process as physically draining, writing that her mother is exhausted, having trouble staying awake and struggling with nutrition because pain in her tongue and throat makes it hard to swallow even small amounts of food or liquid.
The fundraiser says the illness has also put financial pressure on Keough because she cannot work during treatment. Bosworth said the money raised will be used for medical expenses, living costs, nutrition and extra support while her mother continues care.
Bosworth also wrote that living in Florida with young children has made it difficult for her and Shane to help Keough from across the country. She said there are no direct flights between them and that being in Orange County has shown her more clearly the level of support her mother needs now and after Bosworth returns home.
Deadline reported that the GoFundMe had raised more than $15,000 toward a $22,000 goal at the time of its story.
Keough helped launch The Real Housewives of Orange County when the Bravo series premiered in 2006. She appeared as a main cast member for the first five seasons and has returned for appearances during the show’s run.
Keough is also featured in the premiere episode of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, a franchise anniversary installment marking 20 years of Real Housewives.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.