Christian LeBlanc Opens Up About His Near-Death Cancer Battle
Three-time Daytime Emmy Award winner and beloved The Young and the Restless star Christian LeBlanc has shared new details about his harrowing cancer journey. The 67-year-old actor, best known for playing Michael Baldwin, revealed just how close he came to death during his battle with multiple myeloma.
LeBlanc was first diagnosed in June 2023 but kept his illness private until October of that year, when he announced that he was already in remission. In a recent interview with CBS, he spoke candidly for the first time about his fight.
“I had multiple myeloma. I was diagnosed, and I almost died,” LeBlanc admitted. “I’d never spent a night in the hospital before that—and I’m 67.”
The diagnosis, he explained, might not have happened without The Young and the Restless. While filming, he began experiencing alarming health changes: frequent nosebleeds, dramatic weight loss of 35 pounds in just two months, and even a drooping eye. Fans noticed the changes onscreen, but the actor later discovered the cause was a tumor in his sinus cavity pressing on his optic nerve.
Now, two years in remission, LeBlanc says he is determined to live life to the fullest.
“You get to an age where every day is your thing,” he reflected.
Far from slowing down, the actor is keeping busy both on-screen and on-stage. On The Young and the Restless, Michael Baldwin remains at the center of compelling storylines, including his latest case defending Cane. Off-screen, LeBlanc recently starred in Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story at the Jersey Shore Arts Center in New Jersey, sharing the stage with Matt D. Rogatis. The two previously worked together in the 2022 off-Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
LeBlanc describes the show’s current scripts as some of the best he has ever received, promising fans more intense drama ahead.
His journey back to health has been as inspiring as any soap opera storyline—proof of resilience, gratitude, and a deep passion for his craft.
