Bruce Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa, 71, reveals she’s secretly battling blood cancer as she speaks about diagnosis for the first time

Bruce Springsteen’s wife Patti Scialfa has revealed she is secretly battling cancer.

The 71-year-old guitarist, who plays in her husband’s E Street Band, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, in 2018 and decided to stop touring due to her health crisis.

And now the songwriter has revealed her battle with cancer in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered Sunday night at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada.

Patti spoke about her decision to scale back her stage commitments: ‘I’ve been performing with this band for 40 years. Those first few shows felt so good to be back on stage.

“Touring has become a challenge for me. In 2018, well, Bruce and I were doing a play on Broadway. I was diagnosed with early stage multiple myeloma.”

The 71-year-old guitarist, who plays in her husband’s E Street Band, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, in 2018 and has withdrawn from private touring due to the health crisis (they are pictured performing together in February 2023)

She said that she still goes to the occasional performance, but that she is no longer on stage regularly.

Patti added: ‘This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful about what I do and where I go.

“Every now and then I get to come to a show or two and sing a few songs on stage, and that’s a treat. That’s the new normal for me now, and I’m OK with that.”

The documentary marks the first time Patti has spoken publicly about her cancer diagnosis.

She and Bruce have been married since 1991. They have three children: Evan, 34, Jessica, 32, and Samuel, 30.

Last October, Bruce inducted his wife into the New Jersey Hall Of Fame at the 15th Annual Induction Ceremony.

Bruce stood on stage with a big smile on his face to share some kind words about his wife and why she is so deserving of this honor.

After he presented his wife and bandmate with the Hall of Fame Award, the couple kissed onstage.

The couple has been married since 1991. They have three children: Evan, 34, Jessica, 32, and Samuel, 30 (pictured in 2019)

Speaking about her decision to scale back her stage commitments in a new documentary, she explained: “Touring has become a challenge for me. In 2018, well, Bruce and I did a play on Broadway. I was diagnosed with early-stage multiple myeloma.”

Last October, Bruce inducted his wife into the New Jersey Hall Of Fame at the 15th annual induction ceremony, where they shared a sweet kiss on stage

Patti is from Deal, New Jersey, which is located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County.

The singer-songwriter and guitarist graduated from Asbury Park High School, the same city where Springsteen developed his musical talents before his breakthrough in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1984, she joined the E Street Band, a few days before the opening show of the Born In The USA Tour.

The musician has also recorded three solo studio albums during her prestigious career: Rumble Doll (1993), 23rd Street Lullaby (2004) and Play It As It Lays (2007).

Her first two albums received four-star reviews from Rolling Stone, while the third album received three and a half stars. Springsteen and other E Street band members, such as Nils Lofgren and Roy Bittan, have contributed to her records.

Meanwhile, her husband Bruce also struggled with a number of health crises during the last years of his tour.

He developed a stomach ulcer and had to stop working for six months because the disease affected his singing.

Earlier this year, he spoke on Sirius XM’s E Street Radio, explaining, “You sing with your diaphragm. You know, my diaphragm was so sore that when I even bothered to sing, it was killing me, so I literally couldn’t sing at all, you know?

‘And that lasted for two, three months, and then I had a whole bunch of other painful problems.’