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NEED TO KNOW
Amy Poehler praised Julia Louis-Dreyfus for being so open about her stage 2 breast cancer diagnosis in 2017
The Seinfeld alum said she felt "backed into a corner" about going public with her diagnosis after postponing Veep for her treatment
Louis-Dreyfus said a "good thing" that came out of her transparency was being able to help so many others and offer advice
Julia Louis-Dreyfusis sharing how she felt forced to publicly share her breast cancer diagnosis.
TheSeinfeldactress, 64, appeared on the Tuesday, Dec. 9, episode of theGood Hangpodcast when hostAmy Poehlercommended her for being so open about her stage 2breast cancer diagnosisin 2017.
"It was very helpful for a lot of people. It isn't something you needed to share. You did," Poehler said.
However, Louis-Dreyfus admitted that speaking publicly about her health wasn't necessarily what she wanted to do at the time.
"Well, I was kind of backed into a corner on that one because we had to shut our show down," she said, referring to her showVeepbeing postponed for a yearwhile she underwent treatment. "It's funny how that worked out because normally I would not have done that. I'm very private."
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"But because we had to shutVeepdown for a year, I had to say it," she continued. "250 people weren't going to be working. So I had to make a public thing about it."
Despite sharing the news before she expected to, the actress said it ultimately led to a "good thing" happening.
"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," she explained. "There is a lot to be said in self-soothing by soothing others, for real. I don't mean to sound all Pollyannaish. I actually think it's true."
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Louis-Dreyfus learned she had stage 2 breast cancer the day after winning her sixth consecutive Emmy award in September 2017. She announced she wascancer-free in October 2018following a double mastectomy and six rounds of chemotherapy.
In November 2023, she toldWSJ. Magazinethat she used to feel immortal, but now, several years after finishing treatment, she has a new approach to life and is determined to make the most of her years in remission.
"I find myself living more mindfully," she said. "It's not like it's yakking at me all the time, but there's more laser focus."
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