‘Y&R’ Star Christian LeBlanc Reveals Cancer Diagnosis & Remission, Promises Thanksgiving Return To Soap

Longtime The Young and the Restless actor Christian LeBlanc has revealed that he’s been battling cancer since June but is now in remission and will return to the soap in time for the Thanksgiving episode.

In an interview with WWL-TV, the CBS affiliate in LeBlanc’s hometown of New Orleans, the actor said he was diagnosed in June with the blood cancer Myeloma. LeBlanc, who plays the soap’s Michael Baldwin, said he’d started noticing signs while on the Y&R set.

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“I went in [to the studio] and… they put my wedding ring on – Lauren and Michael’s wedding ring – and I put my hand down and the ring fell off without friction and I thought what an odd thing,” LeBlanc said. “My nose started bleeding on set, this eye kind of got a little wonky, and there was a tumor in the sinus cavity.” He added that fans had previously pointed out to him a change in the appearance of his eye.

“I was diagnosed around June, Santa Monica, St. John’s Hospital, which I’d never been to. I’d never spent a day in the hospital in my 65 years until this year,” he said, adding, “It’s a very common cancer, but again, it’s like you don’t think of a pink elephant. Now that I hear about Myeloma, you hear it everywhere.”

LeBlanc joined the Y&R cast in 1991, left in 1993 and returned in 1997. He has been absent from the show in recent months, only now disclosing the reason. After surgery, LeBlanc remained in the hospital and underwent immunotherapy treatment.

LeBlanc said he “lost 35 pounds in two months, and not in a good way. But when they said, ‘Eat like it’s your job,’ I said, ‘I was raised to fulfill this promise.’”

LeBlanc said the cancer is in remission and he will next be seen on Y&R’s Thanksgiving episode.

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