Overview
- Lafer announced in May 2026 that he has a low‑malignant Non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, has completed six cycles of chemotherapy, and says the disease is not curable.
- He reports many chemotherapy side effects have eased and his sense of taste has begun to return, which he says matters for his work as a chef.
- Lafer says his future care will focus on regular monitoring and periodic immunotherapies rather than a curative treatment.
- The chef has publicly questioned whether years of nonstop work contributed to his illness and says he is now setting firmer boundaries and turning down some engagements.
- Lafer says financial consequences from a 2016 tax‑evasion conviction, including a suspended sentence and a large fine, continue to burden him and complicate his recovery.