Jessie J has opened up about her breast cancer journey, as she undergoes treatment. The singer, 37, shared photos of her operation, before and after her surgery.
‘Blood warning!! This post is some of the honest lows and highs of the last 48 hours. I will always show the good and hard bits of any journey I go through,’ she wrote on Instagram to her 14 million followers. ‘Grateful to my doctor / surgeon and all the nurses who cared for me and all my family / friends who came to visit,’ she continued. ‘I am home now, to rest and wait for my results. Still hugging everyone going through something tough right now. We all got this.’
Amongst the photos on the post are images of Jessie in hospital, with doctors’ markings showing where her surgical incisions would be, resting after the procedure, and pictures with boyfriend Chanan Safir Colman and their two-year-old son Sky. One photo showed the star in tears as she admitted to feeling ‘so sore’ and getting emotional as her son told her that he loves her.
Her openness and honesty was praised by her celebrity friends. ‘SO proud of you! You’re made of strong stuff my girl,’ said Rochelle Humes, with Michelle Keegan adding, ‘Sending lots of love.’ Marvin Humes commented, ‘Ah Jess wow..these posts ❤️ I know Sky will be keeping you smiling and giving you strength..big love..you’re an absolute warrior x’ and Vicky Pattison remarked, ‘Sending you so much love.’
Jessie’s operation came a week after she performed her final show pre-treatment at Capital's Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium on 16 June. ‘It’s my last show before I go to beat breast cancer! So it’s so special to me, you have no idea,’ she told the sold-out crowd. She also told fans she is ‘so grateful for this life’, as well as her career, son and her parents.
The singer - whose real name is Jessica Cornish - shared her cancer diagnosis with fans on 3 June. ‘I want to share it with my fans and the people that care about me, and also I’m a sharer,’ she said in a video. ‘I’ve always shared everything that I go through in my life. Before No Secrets came out, I was diagnosed with early breast cancer. I’m highlighting the word early. Cancer sucks in any form, but I’m holding on to the word early. I have been in and out of tests throughout this whole period.’
'It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job. I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive tits and more music.'
Jessie - who previously opened up about her miscarriage - added, 'I just wanted to be open and share it. One, because, selfishly, I do not talk about it enough. I’m not processing it because I’m working so hard. I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support and also their own stories. I’m an open book. It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much similar and worse – that’s the bit that kills me.'
Shereen Low is a senior news and entertainment writer for Grazia UK, who has covered some of the biggest showbiz news from the past decade.