Is Susan Flannery Really Diagnosed With Cancer? Or, Is Her Illness Just a Rumor?

Everybody missed this legendary actress when she left the American soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful."

Her farewell from the show wasn’t a happy one, as her character Stephanie Douglas Forrester, who was one of the fan favorite characters, couldn’t battle through her lung cancer.

However, after she left the show, rumors flew around that she was struggling with similar illness in real life. With further investigation, we came to know that she is suffering from fibromyalgia, which led her to retire from the show in 2012

According to mayoclinic.org, 

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.

Susan Flannery Cancer Rumors:

At first, it just sounded like a regular rumor but later on in an interview with TV Guide in 2011, Susan disclosed that she was previously diagnosed with a colon cancer. The interviewer asked if the story (her character Stephanie having a stage 4 lung cancer) might hit too close to home; to which she replied,

“Brad first called me about it last summer. He'd originally thought of giving Stephanie colon cancer — which is the kind of cancer I was diagnosed with — and he wanted to make sure I wouldn't take offense or have a problem with it, which was very sweet of him. I said, "Whatever you want to do is fine with me." But then I think he did further investigating and decided to make it stage 4 lung cancer after learning there might be a way one could survive something like that. Of course, he then threw in the brain tumors...so who knows?”

However, with the immediate treatment, she was able to get rid of her cancer, and as of 2015, she is cancer free. 

Susan Flannery’s Partner:

Susan, now 77 years old, has an adopted daughter named Blaise. As far as we know, she has not been in a married relationship till now. Because of her low-key dating status, people have also speculated that she has a ‘gay’ sexual preference, but there has been no proof of it either. 

Caption: Susan Flannery with adopted daughter Blaise in 2012.

Source: lisimg.com

Susan Flannery’s Short Bio:

Susan Flannery was born on July 31, 1939, in New Jersey. Her first television appearance was in Burke’s Law as a secretary in 1963. Later she played the role of Dr. Laura Spencer Horton on Days Of Our Lives from 1966 to 1975.

She has won the "Daytime Emmy Award" for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series "The Bold and the Beautiful" for three times (2000, 2002, 2003). Apart from that she has also won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her work in Days of Our Lives in 1975 and has also won a Golden Globe Award for the New Star of the Year in the Actress category for The Towering Inferno. 

 Later in 1987, she was cast as Stephanie Douglas Forrester in the American soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful." After about working for 25 years straight, she left the show in 2012, as her character Stephanie died from lung cancer. 

She has been involved with numerous organizations fighting Fibromyalgia since her retirement. Not only that, she has transitioned from an actress to being director/producer.