Mariska Hargitay and Jill Martin Courtesy of Today show
Jill Martin is officially breast cancer-free, but navigating life after her health battle still has “confusing” moments.
“I hold two emotions that don’t normally go together simultaneously,” Martin, 48, exclusively told Us Weekly at the taping of the Tuesday, October 1, episode of Today. “I’m so grateful to be cancer-free, but on the other hand, I just came out of a year of fog and people look at me and they think I look like myself. To me, I look totally different and my body’s totally different.”
Martin announced her breast cancer diagnosis on a July 2023 episode of the NBC morning show, revealing that she would undergo a double mastectomy. Four months later, she revealed that she had completed chemotherapy by sharing an Instagram video of herself ringing a bell in the hospital.
“I’ve spent the last year just trying to save my life,” Martin told Us. “And now, I’m dealing with the mental trauma of it all. And I think a lot of survivors will tell you, it’s never over. It’s not like, ‘When are you done?’ or ‘Is it over?’ It’s never over. This is a fight I will fight my entire life. I think about chemotherapy every single day.”
Many celebrities have spoken out about their personal battles with breast cancer over the years. Julia Louis-Dreyfus went public with her breast cancer diagnosis in September 2017 via Instagram. Nearly one year later, she had successfully beaten the illness and returned to work on Veep. “It sounds kind of corny, but there’s something about after […]
Martin noted that it’s her “mission in life” to raise awareness for the disease and to encourage people to get tested for breast cancer. “My year has been earth-shattering [for] my family and it could have been avoided,” she explained. “I got it because I did not get genetic testing in time. … It’s not just a history of breast cancer. Ask your doctor about genetic testing. I know people are nervous and they say, ‘I don’t wanna know.’ Trust me. The alternative is worse. I do not want one more person to go through [it].”
Martin gushed about her Today show family, telling Us they were her “rock” and “so incredibly supportive” through her breast cancer journey. She and her colleagues commemorated the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness month on Tuesday’s episode by giving out sherpa jackets from her new clothing brand, By Jill Martin. She teamed up with the WNBA and the NBA to create pink versions of her comfy coats, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Basser Center for BRCA.
Jill Martin with crowd. Courtesy of Today show
“This is really the silver lining out of this nightmare here, is that I was in bed [for] most of it,” Martin shared, sporting the pink jacket on Tuesday’s show. “So, I had to be creative in a different kind of way. And so, I took my hero items and I went out and got the best IP, and now, By Jill Martin is launched.”
Mariska Hargitay, a guest on Tuesday’s episode, praised Martin for being a “warrior” through her breast cancer battle. “[Jill] said something today, that it was no accident that I was here. And, you know, my mother [Jayne Mansfield] loved pink,” she told Us. “And when I saw that today, it’s like all these women love you and … you have all this maternal, pink love energy around you. And it just resonated so deeply with me. And I adore you and your strength is your beauty.”
On Tuesday’s third hour of Today, Martin spoke about genetic testing with her friend Melissa Witczyk, who was inspired to get tested herself after learning of Martin’s diagnosis. Later, on Today With Hoda & Jenna, Martin reunited with SoulCycle’s Stacey Griffith for the first time since they underwent chemotherapy together.
Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager also surprised Martin with a video message from her pal Dwyane Wade.
“I just want to say that the courage that you have, the tenacity that you approach things [with] and the way that you go after things has always been something I’ve admired about you,” Wade, 42, told Martin. “And I admire that you have shared your story, that you have continued to try to help so many others, not only by your platform, [but] by the work that you do. And so, I just wanted to give you a salute and say that I’m proud of you and I’m thankful to call you a friend.”
With reporting by Travis Cronin