EXCLUSIVE Jill Biden Recalls Screaming at Priest Giving Joe His Last Rites During Former Prez's Near-Fatal Health Crisis
The former first lady recounts the medical emergency that nearly claimed Joe’s life in 1988.
June 2 2026, Published 7:23 p.m. ET
Jill Biden has opened up about one of the most terrifying moments of her marriage, revealing she once screamed at a priest who arrived to administer last rites to Joe Biden after the future president suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In her new memoir, View From the East Wing, the former first lady recounts the medical emergency that nearly claimed Joe’s life in 1988 – decades before he would become vice president and later president.
Jill's Most Terrifying Moment
She recalled arriving at the hospital room just as a priest was preparing to leave after administering last rites.
According to Jill, the health scare came shortly after Joe ended his first presidential campaign. At the time, she had recently accepted a teaching position and was preparing to celebrate Valentine’s Day when she received shocking news that something was seriously wrong with her husband.
"I rushed to his side and learned he’d had an aneurysm," Jill wrote in her memoir.
She recalled arriving at the hospital room just as a priest was preparing to leave after administering his last rites.
Valentine's Plans Turned Into Nightmare
"I yelled at the priest to get out my husband was not going to die," she wrote.
"I yelled at the priest to get out my husband was not going to die," she wrote.
Joe was later transported from Wilmington to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where doctors treated the aneurysm.
Because of the seriousness of his condition, he could not be flown to the facility and instead had to be transported by ambulance.
The former first lady said the couple’s planned Valentine’s Day getaway was quickly replaced by a frightening journey between hospitals as Joe's life hung in the balance.
Questions Surrounding The Discovery of Joe’s Prostate Cancer
Jill addressed questions surrounding the discovery of Joe’s Stage IV prostate cancer, which had spread to his bones.
Despite the grim circumstances, Jill revealed she attempted to lighten the mood, joking to her husband: "Way to ruin the holiday."
Joe ultimately underwent surgery and spent months recovering before returning to the Senate later that year.
The emotional recollection comes as Jill’s memoir faces heightened scrutiny following revelations about Joe's cancer diagnosis.
Radar can report that earlier in the book, Jill addressed questions surrounding the discovery of Joe's Stage IV prostate cancer, which had spread to his bones.
She acknowledged the widespread confusion over how the disease was not detected sooner despite Joe receiving regular medical care and annual physical examinations.
Jill Struggled with Same Health Questions
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She, too, struggled with the same questions after learning of the diagnosis, describing herself as stunned by the news.
Jill wrote she also struggled with the same questions after learning of the diagnosis, describing herself as stunned by the news.
While the aneurysm crisis and Joe's cancer battle occurred decades apart, the memoir highlights Jill’s fierce determination to protect and support her husband through some of the most serious health challenges of his life.
Now, as questions continue to swirl over Joe's health and the handling of his cancer diagnosis, Jill’s account offers a revealing glimpse into a role she has played for decades – which has included standing firmly by his side through medical crises and refusing to accept the worst even when others feared it was inevitable.
