Chicago Med star Marlyne Barrett has revealed she was diagnosed with uterine and ovarian cancer in July.
“In April, I had a hernia repaired. So initially, it was supposed to be a three-month recovery and I was going to be fine. And something started happening where I had this accumulation of fluid that I couldn’t shake,” she told People, which broke the news Tuesday.
“I was definitely concerned that something was going on but I trucked on with the work,” she continued. “So by the time I went to see the doctor, they were very concerned. And when they did the CT scan, they found that I had an ovarian and uterine mass that had grown quite possibly to the size of a football.”
Barrett credits her Chicago Med character, Nurse Maggie Lockwood, and fans who were diagnosed with cancer for inspiring her to share her diagnosis. Maggie battled breast cancer during a recent season that resonated with viewers, specifically an episode when the character, who was undergoing chemotherapy, removed her wig.
“I felt the responsibility to tell the story,” she shared. “I think that we as human beings when things like this happen, we hide away. We’re scared to tell people about it. We’re scared to face the mortality of life. We’re scared to pronounce the word ‘cancer.’ We’re nervous to share that when we have so much more strength than we think. I’ve had people shave their heads on set to support me.”
She added of fans with cancer battles of their own she connected with, “I’ve had a sea of women and people contact me through Instagram that over the years that I’ve reached out to. I felt like they brought me courage. As I was progressing with work, I felt this sense of inevitability to have to meet their hearts where they met me.”
A source close to production tells Deadline that Barrett is currently shooting Season 8 and no delays are expected.