Kylie Minogue has disclosed that she postponed chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer in 2005 because she was determined to try for a child through IVF. The Australian pop star, then 36, was hoping to start a family with her former partner, French actor Olivier Martinez, at the time of her diagnosis.
Speaking candidly in the third episode of her new Netflix documentary series, Minogue explained the emotional struggle behind her decision. "I did try. I even postponed my chemotherapy to try - which was quite scary at the time because you just want it out," she said. "But yeah, I did try a few times with IVF, always it was with such a thread of hope. But I couldn't not try."
She also reflected on her unrealised ambition of motherhood, reading a poignant letter she wrote to the baby "that might have been". Her sister Dannii, who appears in the documentary, said it was heartbreaking to see how much Kylie longed for children, adding that she would have sacrificed an arm to make the cancer disappear in 2005.
Minogue, who underwent chemotherapy in Paris, recalled a turning point when she looked at the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the night and thought: "I'm not finished." She went on to complete her world tour despite feeling drained, describing her body as "a battleground".
The singer also revealed for the first time that she fought and overcame breast cancer for a second time in 2021, but kept the battle entirely private unlike her first diagnosis. She said she was "a shell of a person" at the time, but later found strength through her family, saying "I was saved - I really was." In 2023, her hit 'Padam Padam' opened many doors, and she said she needed to speak about her secret health struggle to let it go.
