Julia Louis-Dreyfus is opening up about why she chose to share her 2017 cancer diagnosis publicly.
During a Dec. 9 episode of Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast, the “Seinfeld” comedian, 64, said that the announcement wasn’t entirely her own. When Poehler remarked that her decision had been “very helpful for a lot of people,” Louis-Dreyfus revealed that it was not her first choice to be so public.
“I was kind of backed into a corner on that one because we had to shut our show down,” she said. The actress’ hit series “Veep” was put on hold as she received treatment. Louis-Dreyfus, who has since entered remission, shared in September 2017 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
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“It’s funny how that worked out because normally I would not have done that,” she continued. “I’m very private … but because we had to shut ‘Veep’ down for a year, I had to say it. Two hundred and fifty people weren’t going to be working.”
Despite early reticence, the actress agreed with Poehler that the result of her sharing was positive, as other women battling cancer formed a community around her.
“I did have this incredible experience of people reaching out to me, asking me about my experience going through breast 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.
“There is a lot to be said in self-soothing by soothing others. For real. I don’t mean to sound all Pollyanna-ish. I actually think it’s true,” she added.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus attends as Disney & The Cinema Society Host “Thunderbolts” New York Screening at iPic Theater on April 30, 2025, in New York City.
‘It was a lifesaver’: Julia Louis-Dreyfus on how ‘Veep’ helped her through cancer battle
Louis-Dreyfus, who shared her diagnosis one day after nabbing an Emmy for “Veep,” previously told USA TODAY that working on the show was a “lifesaver” amid her cancer battle.
“It was a very strong reminder of this light that was there at the end of this crazy dark tunnel through which I was traveling,” she said. “It was a tonic to know that was waiting on the other side. And it was such a wonderful way to make a living. Don’t tell HBO this, but they wouldn’t have even had to pay me to do this – I would have done this for free. I just I loved every second of it. So in many ways, it was a lifesaver.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Julia Louis-Dreyfus felt ‘backed into a corner’ about sharing cancer