Bruce Springsteen’s wife and E Street Band guitarist Patti Scialfa has opened up about being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, in 2018.
Scialfa, 71, made the admission in Springsteen’s new documentary, Rock Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 8, per multiple reports including Variety and Entertainment Weekly.
Scialfa cited her medical condition as why she has largely stepped back from Springsteen and the E Street Band’s most recent world tour, which began in February 2023 and continues into July 2025.
“This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” she said in the doc, per Variety. “Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”
In October 2023, Scialfa told Asbury Park Press that she chose not to perform on several dates on Springsteen’s recent tour to work on a solo album and spend time with the couple’s first grandchild. Springsteen and Scialfa became grandparents to Lily Harper Springsteen in July 2022 when their son, Sam, 30, welcomed a daughter with his wife, Alex Reph.
“I didn’t feel as needed in a way because there were a lot of musicians on stage,” she said at the time. “I did the first couple of shows, and as I saw how it was all rolling, I thought, ‘This is good. This is completely intact. There’s not much room for me to add anything special.’
“And the main thing was I have a record that I couldn’t have finished when Bruce was home because he’s in the studio all the time. So I took that opportunity to do my record,” she added.
Related: Bruce Springsteen and Wife Patti Scialfa’s Relationship Timeline
Bruce Springsteen found his “Jersey Girl” in wife Patti Scialfa. “We’ve been together for 30 years. That’s a long [time] – you’ve shared a lot,” Springsteen gushed during an October 2019 appearance on CBS Mornings. “You know, Patti’s been at the center of my life for the entire second half of my life … and […]
Scialfa has been part of the E Street Band since 1984 and married Springsteen, 74, in 1991. They also share son Evan, 34, and daughter Jessica, 31.
Springsteen himself has had some medical issues during his latest tour. In September 2023, he postponed dates set for the remainder of the year until 2024 after being diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. In May, he postponed several dates in Europe citing “vocal issues” and doctor’s orders.
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