EXCLUSIVE: 'SNL' Star's First Lady Lift — Cheri Oteri Credits Jill Biden's Support in Brutal Breast Cancer Battle
'SNL' star Cheri Oteri credits Jill Biden's support during her difficult breast cancer battle.
July 20 2026, Published 6:15 a.m. ET
SNL legend Cheri Oteri revealed she's had a surprising supporter during her nightmare battle with breast cancer – a former first lady, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The actress, 63, underwent her second lumpectomy after doctors caught the big C "early" – and she gushed over being "blown away" by how Jill Biden helped her through the ordeal.
Cancer Diagnosis Led to Friendship
Cheri Oteri said Jill Biden supported her after she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
The two got acquainted at an event while chatting about their mutual love for the state of Pennsylvania, where Oteri was born.
The event included "all of these accomplished, powerful women in all these different occupations in women's healthcare," she recalled.
Oteri – who's now reprising her role as Gail Hailstorm in the latest Scary Movie – describes her attendance at the event as "so serendipitous."
"It was the weirdest thing because I was just diagnosed with DCIS breast cancer," Oteri said.
DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ, is an early form of breast cancer that occurs when cancer cells are confined inside a milk duct without spreading to surrounding tissue.
Jill Biden Stood By Her
Biden told Oteri, 'I am with you on this,' after learning about her breast cancer diagnosis.
At the end of the event, "Jill came up to me and we were saying goodbye, and I told her I was just diagnosed" with cancer, recalled Cheri.
"And she said, 'When is your surgery?' And I said, 'the 26th.'
"And she said, 'All right. You're gonna get tired of me ... I'm going through this with you.'
"'This woman, before my surgery, after my surgery, she just goes, 'I am with you on this.' I was blown away."
Biden established the nonprofit organization Biden Breast Health Initiative in 1993, and in 2024, she announced $100 million of federal funds would be used for women's health research.
Actress Urges Women Get Screened
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Following her breast cancer diagnosis, Oteri urged women to get mammograms after her cancer was caught early.
"We will build a healthcare system where women are not just an afterthought," Biden vowed.
The former first lady has a "big heart" and is "a beautiful human being," said Cheri. She also encouraged all women to keep up with their health checkups, saying: "My message to everybody is get your mammogram. I caught it [cancer] really early."
