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Julia Louis-Dreyfus Says Veep Shutdown Forced Her to Disclose 2017 Cancer Diagnosis

She says the yearlong production pause left hundreds of colleagues idle, prompting a rare public statement.

Overview

  • Speaking on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast on Dec. 9, the 64-year-old actor said she felt “backed into a corner” about going public.
  • Louis-Dreyfus said she is very private but felt compelled to explain why HBO’s Veep halted production during her treatment.
  • She noted the final season was delayed for about a year and estimated that around 250 people would not be working during the pause.
  • Despite initial reluctance, she said public disclosure led to meaningful outreach, allowing her to advise others facing breast cancer and find comfort in helping.
  • Diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in September 2017, she underwent a double mastectomy and six rounds of chemotherapy before announcing remission in 2018.