Cancer Type – Breast
Bio – Kate Jackson, the Charlie Angel’s star recovered from breast cancer not once, but twice. Read her story here.
Short Story – Dubbed the brainiest of the angels on the television show Charlie’s Angels, Jackson also starred in the 1982 feature film Making Love. At the end of the 1980’s, Jackson started keeping a low profile due to the discovery of breast cancer. Kate Jackson also struggled for years to adopt a child which took an emotional toll on her. In 1995 Kate was at a party and heard that Rosie O’Donnell had recently been able to adopt a son which motivated Kate Jackson to seek her out and find out how she did it. Great ending that Rosie had an attorney friend that was looking for someone to adopt a baby from a mother that needed help, in a few weeks Kate Jackson adopted a new son named Taylor.
Her breast cancer treatment started with a lumpectomy and radiation, which seemed to cure the disease. However, in 1989 a recurrence was detected and she underwent a partial mastectomy and six weeks of recovery. At her post-mastectomy check-up of two years, no traces of the disease were found.
“The range of emotions you go through is amazing,” Jackson said of her cancer. “But I really made a conscious decision to be positive. When I had a negative thought, I pushed it away.” This was a particular challenge for a former Revlon and Max Factor model but she handled it with poise and grace and later would become tremendous support for her co-stars who also battled cancer themselves, Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett.
Kate Jackson could not feel the lump that was breast cancer. Her first mammogram detected the disease, and why she urges people to get routinely screened starting at the age of 35. She continues to this day to be a very outspoken advocate of regular checkups and very open with her battle to influence and help others.
Thank you Kate for speaking out about breast cancer and heart health, as she also had open-heart surgery to correct a birth defect, atrial septal defect.
Kate Jackson Breast Cancer Update
This October, Kate will turn 72 and is still cancer-free! Her breast cancer which she has battled twice fortunately has not been a problem since. Her last acting role was in 2007 on Criminal Minds, where she played the part of Agents Prentiss’ mother, Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss. Since then, she has not acted in any television shows or movies.
After many postponements, in December of 2020, her autobiography “The Smart One” is scheduled to be released. However, she is still active in health advocacy for women. Today, you can request her to be a key speaker on women’s health issues from Big Speaks.
In 1994, Kate had to have open-heart surgery to repair her heart (a congenital defect). Her mother also suffered from heart problems. Since then, she has been a big advocate of cancer and heart disease for women’s health. In 1999, Kate received the Humanitarian Award from the Israeli Cancer Research Fund for her labors on behalf of cancer research.
She still resides in VA, where she bought a Victorian farm in 1988 after selling her California home. In 2010 Kate was finally able to realize her heart’s dream of adopting a child, Charles Taylor Jackson. Cancer Horizons appreciates all of the cancer champions for their willingness to put their “Star Power” towards breast cancer awareness, finding a cure, and getting checked often.
Image Credits – By ABC Television (eBay item photo front photo back) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
| Born | Lucy Kate Jackson, October 29, 1948 (age 71), Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Education | University of Mississippi (withdrawn), Birmingham Southern College (withdrawn), American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| Occupation | Actress, producer, director |
| Years active | 1969–2007 |
| Spouse(s) | Andrew Stevens (m. 1978; div. 1982), David Greenwald (m. 1982; div. 1984), Tom Hart (m. 1991; div. 1993) |
| Partner(s) | Edward Albert (mid-1970s) |
| Children | 1 |
