Christian LeBlanc has played Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless since 1991, but he hasn’t appeared on the series in recent months.
The eight-time Daytime Emmy nominee, 65, is battling a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma.
“I was diagnosed around June at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, where I had never been,” he told CBS in New Orleans.
“I have never spent a day in the hospital in my 65 years until this year.”
And it was his fans who first pointed out that one of his eyes looked a little “crooked.”
Health battle: Christian LeBlanc has played Michael Baldwin on “The Young and the Restless” since 1991, but he hasn’t appeared on the series in recent months
Before the fan mentioned the fact that his eye looked strange, he had already experienced some symptoms that made him feel like something was wrong with his health.
‘I went in [to the studio] “They put my wedding ring on — Lauren and Michael’s wedding band — and I put my hand down and the ring fell off without friction and I thought, what a strange thing,” LeBlanc said.
He also had frequent nosebleeds and when he went to the doctor, a tumor was discovered in his sinus cavity. The tumor was pressing on his optic nerve.
Doctors diagnosed the case with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects the body’s plasma cells.
“It’s a very common cancer, but again, it’s like not thinking about a pink elephant.” “Now that I hear about myeloma, you hear it everywhere,” he told the outlet.
The New Orleans native 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 make that promise to fulfill.”
LeBlanc underwent surgery and immunotherapy and was hospitalized
Christian underwent surgery and immunotherapy, which included an extended hospital stay.
Soap opera: The eight-time Daytime Emmy nominee, 65, is battling a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma
Diagnosis: “I was diagnosed around June at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, where I had never been,” he told the CBS station in New Orleans
Cancer: “I have never spent a day in the hospital in my 65 years until this year.” And it was his fans who first pointed out that one of his eyes looked a little “crooked.”
Remission: Before mentioning the fact that his eye looked strange, the fan had already experienced some symptoms that made him feel like there was something wrong with his health
His cancer is now completely in remission and he will be back for the Thanksgiving episode of the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless.
LeBlanc joined the cast of Y&R in 1991, left in 1993 and returned in 1997.
He has won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series three times.
In 2021, he announced that he is gay and has been married to his husband Sid Montz for 28 years.