When I first heard the news that Eric Braeden—yes, our Victor Newman—was battling cancer, it felt like someone had just flipped a table at Newman Enterprises. It was April 2023 when the 82-year-old soap legend took to Facebook Live with tears in his eyes and shared words that made my heart sink: “I’ve been diagnosed with cancer of the bladder.”
For fans of The Young and the Restless like me, this wasn’t just any celebrity health update—it felt personal. Victor has been a towering figure in our homes for over four decades. Now, the man behind the icon was stepping into the most important role of his life: survivor.
“You Gotta Be Tough”: Braeden’s Diagnosis and Determination
Eric revealed that the cancer was found incidentally while he was recovering from knee surgery. He’d experienced urinary issues and, after some scans and a biopsy, was given the diagnosis: high-grade bladder cancer.
"You never expect it,” he admitted in the video, voice trembling, “but I’m gonna deal with it.”
And deal with it, he did. Over six weeks, Braeden underwent immunotherapy—a treatment that boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer. He never stopped working. In fact, during treatment, he continued filming on Y&R, sometimes resting between scenes. “The show must go on,” he joked, in typical Victor fashion.
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