Singer Jessie J has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer in March, just as she was preparing to release her first album in eight years. The 36-year-old, real name Jessica Cornish, said she found a lump before a Bafta appearance and underwent a biopsy on 28 March, the day after her birthday. Doctors initially dismissed the lump as 'nothing' due to her dense breast tissue, but a biopsy confirmed high-grade cancer cells.
Cornish underwent a mastectomy in early July and is awaiting reconstructive surgery, which has forced her to cancel tour dates. She described the experience as 'terrifying and absurd', comparing the walk to surgery to an episode of Black Mirror. However, she noted she was lucky to avoid chemotherapy and radiotherapy, saying: 'Cancer sucks, man, but you know what? Thank fuck I found it early.'
The singer's new album, Don't Tease Me With a Good Time, was intended as an open book covering her struggles with endometriosis, miscarriage, failed relationships, gaslighting, and suicide. The first single, No Secrets, was released in April while she kept her diagnosis secret. She said: 'I come out with a song called No Secrets. I'm doing every interview, and they're, like, “So what's new with you?” and I'm, like, “Erm, yeah, nothing …”'
Cornish, who became a mother to a toddler after a decade of fertility struggles, said the diagnosis has made her more determined to live in the moment. She also revealed plans to make her standup comedy debut next year, saying: 'I love making people laugh. On stage I basically roast the audience.'
