A fan-favorite action legend is getting candid about his health struggles, revealing he considered "legal suicide" and that he had "almost given up all hope."
Videos by Wide Open Country
Masters of the Universe and Rocky IV star Dolph Lundgren dropped the bombshell in his new memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle. In it, he revealed that he contemplated physician-assisted suicide during his cancer journey, talking it over with his brother.
"When I was deep into the cancer treatments and thinking about the possibility of killing myself, my brother, Johan, was going to help me, because I didn't know what kind of condition I might be in once I made that decision," Lundgren penned, per Entertainment Weekly. "At this point, I was depressed and had almost given up all hope," the 68-year-old admitted.
However, the notion never went beyond talks, the Creed II star added.
Lundgren was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2015. The tumors eventually spread, and the actor was told he had only years to live. However, another professional opinion from Dr. Alexandra Drakaki led the action star to get a new lease on life.
Dolph Lundgren Hopes to Inspire Others: 'Keep Fighting'
In 2022, Dr. Drakaki declared that the star was "misdiagnosed" following a series of blood tests. While the new diagnosis was lung cancer, the doctor had a plan of attack that was eventually successful. In 2024, Lundgren revealed he was cancer-free.
"I do what they call survivorship therapy. You go through cancer survivorship, and you get PTSD, a little bit like a soldier coming back from war. You faced your own mortality," the Punisher legend told EW last month. "In therapy, they said, 'The one rule of life is that we all know we're gonna die.' But most people don't think about it. You can get hit by a bus any day, but they told me, 'Well, once you've had cancer, you've seen the bus. You saw the color of the bus, and you saw the number of it.'"
"I hope [I] can inspire people who have their own problems — not just cancer — to be positive and keep fighting," he added.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline?. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.
