Celebrities whose terminal disease was revealed too late

The disease does not choose between the poor and the rich, the famous and the unknown, but very often the success of treatment depends on a well-timed diagnosis. Unfortunately, many people think nothing of their health – including very successful people, whose death is a bitter loss for millions.

Joy-pup recalls famous personalities who were too late to discover that they were seriously ill and died before their time.

Bob Marley (1945-1981)

The iconic reggae performer, the ideological follower of Rastafarianism, one of the 100 greatest musicians of all time, died of a seemingly trifling injury before he reached the age of 40. The musician was passionately fond of football. During one of the games he got a bad bruise on his big toe and didn’t pay much attention to it. Soon a malignant growth (melanoma) formed at the site of the injury. The only way out was amputation, which Marley flatly refused. He explained his decision by the fact that his religion doesn’t accept this besides, he was afraid that he would no longer be able to play football and move freely on stage.

Three years later, while on a tour of America, Bob Marley passed out while jogging in New York’s Central Park. In the winter of 1980, he underwent a course of therapy with a Munich luminary, which was famous for its non-standard (and unproven) approach to the treatment of cancer, but alas, it wasn’t successful. By May 1981, cancer struck the singer’s brain and lungs, and he died in a Miami hospital, although he wished to spend his last days in Jamaica.

Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

The brilliant artist, designer, writer, filmmaker, founder of commercial pop art died in 1987 shortly after having his gallbladder removed, but the reason was much more serious. Warhol was terrified of hospitals and doctors after the 1968 assassination attempt, which resulted in his clinical death but he managed to survive due to the 5-hour operation. Internal organs were so damaged that they never recovered: it was painful to eat, painful to swallow, the man had to wear a corset to support the abdominal muscles.

having such health problems, he avoided any serious medical intervention and practically lived on psychostimulants. About a month before his death, the artist felt so badly that after all he consulted a doctor. Finding that the patient was emaciated and dehydrated, he insisted on an immediate surgery, although Warhol pleaded for some home treatment. The final diagnosis was confirmed only on the operating table, when the surgeon removed the gallbladder, affected by gangrene, which disintegrated in his hands. Two weeks later, Andy Warhol died at Cornwell Medical Center: his heart stopped.

Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

One of the founders of Apple, an outstanding leader who is called the “father” of the digital revolution, died of pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011, at age 56. The paradox is that this man was very concerned about his health, followed a pescetarian diet, but stubbornly denied the seriousness of his diagnosis. Doctors discovered the disease back in 2003, and insisted on urgent surgery, but Steve chose to rely on alternative medicine.

Nine months later, the tumor was removed, but the metastases had already penetrated the liver. Jobs underwent chemotherapy and the cancer receded for a while, but by early 2009 his health condition went downhill. He underwent liver transplant surgery, and, despite the optimistic forecasts, in January 2011 he was again forced to go on medical leave, from which he never returned. Although the head of Apple was treated by one of the best oncologists in the world, David Agus, it was too late: the hope for alternative treatments led to his unreasonably early death.

Boseman Chadwick (1976-2020)

In 2016, the actor gained worldwide fame as the Prince of Wakanda T’Challa (Black Panther) in Captain America: Civil War. And by the wicked irony of fate, in the same year he discovered that he was terminally ill: he was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. The diagnosis was established too late, but the actor didn’t give up and courageously fought the tumor for four years, without stopping to act in the superhero film series about the Avengers.

Chadwick didn’t tell anyone about his illness and even hid it from colleagues. However, in 2020, the cancer reached its final stage and on August 28, Black Panther died in his house in Los Angeles.