{"id":555328,"date":"2026-07-23T07:06:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T07:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/555328\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T07:06:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T07:06:23","slug":"star-treks-william-shatner-reveals-stage-4-cancer-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/555328\/","title":{"rendered":"Star Trek&#8217;s William Shatner reveals stage 4 cancer battle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Veteran actor William Shatner has revealed he has survived stage four cancer, which &#8211; incredibly &#8211; he fought at the exact same time as his daughter, Melanie. Both are now cancer-free, and the 95-year-old Star Trek icon said he feels better than he&#8217;s been &#8220;in years&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Speaking to <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/william-shatner-daughter-melanie-fought-stage-4-cancer-together-exclusive-12023877\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/people.com\/william-shatner-daughter-melanie-fought-stage-4-cancer-together-exclusive-12023877\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"PEOPLE\" data-node-id=\"9.1.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">PEOPLE<\/a> in a joint interview, the pair said Melanie, who is 61, discovered she had stage four breast cancer in 2022. A lump in her father&#8217;s cheek led to him receiving his own diagnosis the following year.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">He was told a malignant melanoma, initially mistaken for a blocked salivary gland, had spread to his lungs and brain.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"william shatner, melanie shatner\" title=\"william shatner, melanie shatner\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2632\" height=\"3000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/16b60d2b-b03b-4162-9b8d-b725eb8bea5b.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Barry King\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"19\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tech\/best-tech-deals\/g35899960\/best-streaming-services\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Best streaming services\" data-node-id=\"19.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best streaming services<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"23\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Both William and Melanie were cancer-free by the end of 2024, and are now launching a wellness podcast called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DDO3Lgl7eYA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DDO3Lgl7eYA\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"No Time But Now \" data-node-id=\"23.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">No Time But Now <\/a>at the end of this month.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"27\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Speaking of her dad&#8217;s illness, Melanie revealed: \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t stop his life. He kept working and moving forward. Whenever he was home, Joel [her husband] and I would bring dinner to him and watch movies, just always made sure that he\u2019s not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"32\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">\u201cI\u2019m healthier now than I\u2019ve been in years. The brain is like a muscle. It feeds on activity,\u201d William added.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"36\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">As for Melanie&#8217;s ordeal, she revealed that her dad helped her significantly with the overwhelming costs of her treatment. &#8220;You said to me, &#8216;I do not want you to worry. Just send me the bills,'&#8221; she recalled. <\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"william shatner\" title=\"william shatner\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2500\" height=\"3458\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bbc28381-b1b5-4214-8702-40e9fdeb50a5.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1ddfba50\"\/><\/p>\n<p>JB Lacroix\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"41\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a73233668\/julie-andrews-documentary-disney\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a73233668\/julie-andrews-documentary-disney\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Dame Julie Andrews for &quot;intimate and revealing&quot; documentary film\" data-node-id=\"41.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Dame Julie Andrews for &#8220;intimate and revealing&#8221; documentary film<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"45\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">&#8220;Then you made me laugh so hard when I was still going to the doctor a year later. You said, &#8216;You\u2019ve got to get well. We\u2019re going to be in the poorhouse!'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"49\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Melanie Shatner is the youngest daughter of William and his first wife, the late Gloria Rand, whom he divorced in 1969. Melanie herself has two children.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"53\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">William played Captain Kirk in multiple Star Trek projects, including all episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series and the first seven Star Trek movies. He has also starred in Miss Congeniality, 3rd Rock From The Sun and T. J. Hooker.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"57\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">In 2021, he became the oldest person ever (at the time) to fly into space, doing so at the age of 90 on Blue Origin NS-18.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"62\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-node-id=\"62.1\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a70049607\/streaming-guide\/\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Streaming Guide\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"68\" class=\"css-1ncddsh emevuu60\">The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsbts?hearst_refdomain=www.google.com&amp;hearst_utm=none\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-node-id=\"68.3\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livinglegendsbts?hearst_refdomain=www.google.com&amp;hearst_utm=none\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1784790383_926_37454c59-9f86-4f90-8319-50e00b543ca5_1759932323.file.png\" alt=\"Headshot of Shaun Kitchener\" title=\"Headshot of Shaun Kitchener\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/author\/shaun-kitchener\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Metro<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.attitude.co.uk\/contributor\/shaun-kitchener\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Attitude<\/a>, Huffington Post, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/authors\/shaun-kitchener\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Mirror<\/a>, Yahoo!, Pink News and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.express.co.uk\/journalist\/122476\/Shaun-Kitchener\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Express Online<\/a>, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical <a href=\"https:\/\/thestepsmusical.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Here &amp; Now<\/a> and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who&#8217;ll listen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Veteran actor William Shatner has revealed he has survived stage four cancer, which &#8211; incredibly &#8211; he fought&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":555329,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[458,137241,635,251958,637,146,85,46,195853,636,251957,237453],"class_list":["post-555328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-collection-latest-news","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-b3bc7b22-7e7b-41f4-90d5-55ad186e5396","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-star-treks-william-shatner-reveals-stage-4-cancer-battle","tag-sponsored-false"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=555328"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555328\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/555329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=555328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=555328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=555328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}