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Sheryl Crow Makes Rare Comment on Ex-Fiancé Lance Armstrong and Her Kids
Sheryl Crow knew she had to be strong enough to handle one of the most difficult weeks of her life.
The “If It Makes You Happy” singer shared that in 2006, she was diagnosed with breast cancer the same week she and Lance Armstrong called off their engagement.
"I was engaged. I had three beautiful stepchildren. I wanted to have kids with this person,” Sheryl recalled on the May 20 episode of The Bobbycast. “We split. In the same week that we split, I got diagnosed with breast cancer, and I found out he was seeing a really famous actress.”
While the 64-year-old, who dated the cyclist for two years before getting engaged, didn’t further detail Lance’s other relationship and how it led to her breakup, she did share insight into navigating a breakup amid cancer treatment. As she put it, “I went through about nine months of radiation and grieving and anger."
But despite the difficulty, Sheryl was able to find the lesson she needed to learn for herself, thanks to some advice from her medical team.
"I had a really stoic oncologist who literally looked like my grandmother—not a warm and fuzzy person at all,” she explained. “She literally said, ‘I've had a thousand women come through with breast cancer, don't miss out on the lesson.’”
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And the Grammy winner learned that it was important to prioritize her own wellbeing instead of constantly focusing on others.
“I realized, having gone through all of that, I am a caretaker. I’m the last person I take care of,” she explained. “I take care of everybody’s emotions. I make sure everybody’s good with me.”
She added, “It took my life screeching to a halt to get to a place to go, ‘OK, who am I? And why am I doing what I'm doing? Do I love what I'm doing? What am I supposed to be doing?’”
And for Sheryl, that breakup didn’t end her dream of being a mom either, as she subsequently moved to Nashville and adopted kids Wyatt, 19, and Levi, 15.
"We all have those moments in our life where we have to pivot," Sheryl told Variety in 2025. "I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and I moved [to Nashville] in 2007."
"I just looked at it and thought, 'I want to put down roots; I want to have a family,’" she said. "My sisters live here, and my family all lived within three hours, and I just decided to start phase two."
Ray Mickshaw/WireImage for Universal Music Group
After their breakup, Lance weathered a major professional scandal with him being stripped of his seven Tour De France wins and a bronze medal in 2012 following a yearslong investigation into his use of performance-enhancing drugs. (After initially denying the allegations, he subsequently admitted wrongdoing.)
And while he went on to marry Anna Hansen in 2022 after they welcomed kids Max, 16, and Olivia, 15, the former cyclist—also dad to kids Luke, 26, and twins Grace and Isabelle, 24, with ex-wife Kristin Richard—has previously looked back at his time with Sheryl fondly.
"It was a good ride. She's a great lady. Obviously it didn't work out, but I think and I hope she's happy. I'm happy," he told Howard Stern in 2017. "It's tough to pull it off. I mean, how many couples have been able to pull it off? To her credit, she was a stay-at-home—one of the biggest rock stars—she was a great partner."
For more stars who have been candid about their own cancer journeys, keep reading.
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Colin Egglesfield
The All My Children alum announced in January 2025 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his third cancer diagnosis throughout his life.
Despite the devastating news, he announced (for the third time) in February 2025 he was cancer-free following successful surgery and treatments.
“Remember, you’re not defined by any of your challenges," he wrote in his February 2025 Instagram update. "You’re grander than it all. I’m not my fear, my anxiousness or my scars but I embrace it all because the only way to transform it is to own it.”
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Gerry Turner
The former Golden Bachelor star shared in Dec. 2024 that he had been diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a bone cancer.
"Unfortunately, there's no cure for it,” Gerry noted to People at the time. “So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn't want to admit to it.”
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Ariana Madix
"I had to have a lil bit o'cancer removed from my body and lymph nodes biopsied," the Vanderpump Rules star revealed to fans at the close of 2018. "(In the clear now!)"
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Christina Applegate
The Up All Night star was declared "100-percent clear" of breast cancer after treatment and a double mastectomy.
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Jim Beaver
The actor, known for roles in The Boys and Supernatural, shared on Feb. 3, 2023, that he had battled prostate cancer for years and was cancer free.
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Marcia Cross
The Desperate Housewives star revealed to fans in September 2018 that she survived anal cancer. "After posting a picture of myself here and uttering the words #cancer and #hairloss, I feel liberated, deliriously free and completely me," she shared on Instagram.
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Dustin Hoffman
The two-time Oscar winner underwent successful treatment for cancer, and his rep confirmed to E! News that doctors deemed Hoffman "surgically cured."
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Hugh Jackman
The X-Men star was treated for his third basal cell carcinoma back in 2014, and after his third treatment, Jackman's rep told E! News that he's "all good" now.
In April 2023, Hugh had two biopsies for additional basal cell carcinoma. At the time, he told fans, "If I can just take this opportunity to remind you summer is coming for those of us in the northern hemisphere, please wear sunscreen."
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Camille Grammer
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star celebrated one year of being cancer-free in January. The mother of two was diagnosed with endometrial cancer back in 2013 and underwent a radical hysterectomy.
Then in 2017, Camille had surgery to remove Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
Gordon Ramsay / Instagram
Gordon Ramsay
Alongside a pair of photos that show a line of stitches running from the bottom of his ear to his jaw, which he later covered with a bandage, the British celebrity chef shared that he underwent a procedure to treat skin cancer.
“Grateful and so appreciative for the incredible team at The Skin Associates and their fast reactive work on removing this Basal Cell Carcinoma,” Gordon wrote on Instagram August 2025. “Please don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend.”
“I promise you it’s not a face lift,” he added. “I’d need a refund…”
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Cobie Smulders
The Avengers: Age of Ultron actress battled ovarian cancer at the age of 25 and overcome odds when she welcomed two children with husband Taran Killam.
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Dr. Drew Pinsky
TV host reveals he underwent surgery for prostate cancer in July 2013 and has since been given a clean bill of health.
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Brooke Burke
The Dancing with the Stars cohost underwent successful surgery for thyroid cancer. The mother of four tweeted, "Thx for all the twitter love. I'm [home] recovering & resting."
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Angie Everhart
"MY DR CALLED ME ON A SAT. MORNING TO TELL ME I AM CANCER FREE!!!!! #wootothemotherf--kinhoo," the actress tweeted after receiving the good news.
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Michael C. Hall
The Dexter star used a hiatus from his hit series to slay Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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Michelle Monaghan
The Australian actress revealed in October 2011 that she had a cancerous mole removed from her calf after her hubby encouraged her to get the suspicious-looking mark checked out.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
Ewan McGregor
The Scot is trainspotting just fine these days after having a cancerous mole removed from beneath his right eye.
Brad Barket/Getty Images for Happy Hearts Fund
Sheryl Crow
The singer beat breast cancer in 2004 with a "minimally invasive" lumpectomy and radiation therapy.
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Michael Douglas
The Oscar winner declared in early 2011 that his tumor was gone and he had throat cancer "beat."
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Edie Falco
The Emmy winner whacked breast cancer in 2004.
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Anderson Cooper
Surely the CNN veteran wears his SPF when he's braving the elements now after having a cancerous growth removed from under his left eye in 2008.
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Kylie Minogue
The Australian pop star underwent successful surgery for breast cancer in 2005.
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Barry Watson
The 7th Heaven star was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease when he was only 28. He's 50 now and looking good!
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Maura Tierney
The ER fave had to abandon her role in Parenthood to fight breast cancer in 2009—but her treatment was a success and she was back on the red carpet in no time.
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Sharon Osbourne
The America's Got Talent judge was diagnosed with colon cancer while shooting The Osbournes in 2002 and used the opportunity to stress the importance of regular screenings while attacking the #@%! with chemotherapy. She was declared cancer-free the following year.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival
Robert De Niro
The Oscar winner took prostate cancer down, down to Chinatown, in 2003, and has been in about 400 movies since then.
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Robin Roberts
The Good Morning America cohost proudly flaunted her smooth scalp while undergoing chemotherapy to treat breast cancer in 2007.
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Lance Armstrong
The champion cyclist battled back from stage-four testicular cancer before winning seven straight Tour de France titles.
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Melissa Etheridge
The Grammy and Oscar winner became an inspiring activist after a lumpectomy and chemotherapy cleared her of breast cancer in 2005.
Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for LA Times
Julia Sweeney
The former Saturday Night Live standout mined her breast cancer battle for comedic material that turned into God Said Ha!, her successful one-woman show that eventually went to Broadway.
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