Bruce Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa has revealed she has been battling cancer for the past six years.
The E Street Band members shared the news in the documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which is released on Disney Plus on October 25.
Scialfa, 71, said touring has “become a challenge” amid her cancer battle.
READ MORE: ‘Important to keep memories’: Fergie leads Queen tributes two years on
“I’ve been performing with this band for 40 years,” she said.
“With those first performances, it felt so good to be back onstage. Touring has become a challenge for me.”
It was in 2018, while she and Springsteen were performing in a play on Broadway called Springsteen on Broadway, that Scialfa was diagnosed with “early stage multiple myeloma.”
READ MORE: ‘Golden age of rock’ star dies aged 86
Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that develops from plasma cells in the bone marrow, according to Cancer Council Australia.
It is estimated more than 2,600 people were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2023, with the average age at diagnosis sitting at 71 years old.
Decades of history behind these actors’ simple selfie
While performing is a struggle, Scialfa said it “hasn’t put a damper on her love of performing”
“This affects my immune system so I just have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” she said.
For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here,
“Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs onstage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that,” she added.
Scialfa and Springsteen have been married for 33 years. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984.
They are best known as Springsteen’s back up band, hailing from New Jersey where Springsteen lived.
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band premiered on September 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of their upcoming tour with Springsteen, 74.
This will be their first tour since 2017.
READ MORE: Why the celebs love this Aussie skincare brand for kids
Scialfa spoke of her love of performing with her husband, in particular the song Fire,
The couple are parents to sons Evan, 34, and Sam, 30, as well as daughter Jessica, 32.
Scialfa said the documentary will show “a side of our relationship that you usually don’t get to see.”
“Being back onstage with Bruce is a blast,” she said.
“Every night on this tour gives the band a chance to celebrate.”
The tour was originally set for 2023 but was postponed when Springsteen was diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. The band released a statement at the time.
“Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor’s advice,” the statement read.
“With this in mind, and out of an abundance of caution, all remaining 2023 tour dates for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will be postponed until 2024.”
He returned to the stage in March of this year. The news tour dates have been announced, with shows kicking off this month.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.