William Shatner's Family Health Crisis: 'Star Trek' Legend, 95, Reveals He and Daughter Melanie, 61, Battled Stage 4 Cancer at the Same Time
William Shatner and his daughter, Melanie, each battled cancer at the same time.
July 22 2026, Published 12:40 p.m. ET
William Shatner has revealed he and his youngest daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, each fought scary battles with stage 4 cancer at the same time, RadarOnline.com can report.
The 95-year-old Star Trek legend opened up about their shared health crisis in an emotional interview.
The Shatner Family Battles Cancer
Shatner kept his daughter's spirits up during their battle.
Gretsch, 61, was first diagnosed with HER2-positive stage 4 breast cancer in 2022, after discovering a small lump despite receiving a clear mammogram just months earlier.
She was deep into her treatment and making strong progress when, in June 2023, her father was diagnosed with stage 4 malignant melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain.
"I remember vividly thinking, "I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time," Gretsch told People.
But Shatner was optimistic: "They said, 'You got cancer. If you came in later, you would have been dead.' See? That’s my life. I think the universe is taking care of me."
William Shatner Tried to Keep His Daughter's Spirits Up
Melanie Shatner Gretsch is a mother-of-two with husband Joel Gretsch.
Gretsch, a mother-of-two daughters with her husband, actor Joel Gretsch, discovered the lump on her breast by chance in July 2022. Testing later confirmed her worst fears.
"She was very conscious of the importance of her life for herself and for her family," Shatner said. "I was devastated."
But the Enterprise captain kept her spirits up, joking about her concerns over the cost of her cancer treatment.
"You said to me, 'I do not want you to worry. Just send me the bills,'" Gretsch recalled. "Then you made me laugh so hard when I was still going to the doctor a year later. You said, 'You’ve got to get well. We're going to be in the poorhouse!'"
William Shatner Discovered a Lump
Shatner discovered a tumor in 2023.
Over the next year and a half, Gretsch underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and 30 radiation therapy treatments.
Then, just as she was turning the corner on her treatment, Shatner discovered a lump on his face. The T.J. Hooker star underwent surgery to remove the tumor, which was followed by two years of immunotherapy to target the cancer in his lungs and brain.
His proud daughter said even after the devastating diagnosis, "He wouldn’t stop his life. He kept working and moving forward."
"Whenever he was home, Joel and I would bring dinner to him and watch movies, just always made sure that he’s not alone."
William Shatner's Bold New Project
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The 'Star Trek' star and his daughter are now cancer-free.
Now cancer-free, the daddy-daughter duo are sharing their experiences and advice with others battling the disease in a new weekly podcast series titled No Time but Now, in which they interview health experts and other survivors.
"It's easy for us in this lovely home to say, 'Make your life meaningful.' It’s much more difficult to be poverty-stricken and wonder how you're going to get through it. I've been there," said Shatner. "But it’s also possible to endure that and be aware of the beauty around you."
The Hollywood icon, who recently announced he's ready to explore the strange new world of rock-and-roll with his new heavy metal band, said he has a renewed appreciation for life.
"I'm thinking of the miracle of a hummingbird, and of my dog taking a ball, and my children," Shatner beamed. "I'm aware of the magic of it all."
