(NEXSTAR/KTLA) – English pop singer Jessie J, known for songs including “Price Tag” and “Bang Bang,” has been diagnosed with breast cancer, she revealed in a video post to her 13.9 million Instagram followers on Tuesday night.
The singer, 37, added that she’s scheduled to undergo surgery after an appearance at a London music festival on June 15, at which time she plans to “disappear for a bit.”
Jessie J, whose real name is Jessica Ellen Cornish, told her followers on Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with “early” breast cancer sometime before the release of her recent single “No Secrets.” In another post to her Instagram Stories, she confirmed she’s known about the diagnosis for about nine weeks.
“Before ‘No Secrets’ came out, I was diagnosed with early breast cancer,” she said. “I’m highlighting the word ‘early.’ Cancer sucks in any form, but I’m holding onto the word ‘early.’
“I have been in and out of tests throughout this whole period,” she added.
Jessie J, who was diagnosed with Ménière’s disease in 2020, said she “selfishly” decided to share her diagnosis with fans in part because she needed “their love and support.”
“It breaks my heart that other people are going through so much similar, and worse. That’s the bit that kills me,” she said.
The “Domino” singer did not go into detail about treatment or therapies, but confirmed she would undergo surgery sometime after her appearance at the Capital Summertime Ball at London’s Wembley Stadium on June 15. She indicated that at least part of her breast may be removed, remarking that she would get to “keep my nipples.”
“It’s a very dramatic way to get a boob job,” she joked.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 270,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the U.S., making it the second most common form of cancer among women after skin cancer. Roughly 42,000 people die from it every year.
Treatment can include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, surgery, or a combination of several treatments. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the five-year survival rate for patients with early-stage breast cancer — like the one Jessie J describes — are 99%. The survival rate drops for patients with later-stage cancers.
Jessie J, in a text post to Instagram Stories, said the diagnosis has given her “incredible perspective.”
“But honestly, I need to process it and talk about it, and I need a hug. You have loved me through all my good and hard times. And I don’t want this to be any different,” she said.
Many of Jessie J’s fellow artists and friends offered words of support in the wake of her video, including Katy Perry, Chelsea Handler, and Rita Ora, the latter of whom called Jessie J “my favorite person.”
“You’ve got this. My mother had it, and I know the surgery and any treatment on this matter is mentally tough, so I’m here for you,” Ora wrote.
