Bruce Springsteen’s wife, Patti Scialfa, reveals blood cancer diagnosis

Bruce Springsteen’s wife, Patti Scialfa, revealed she was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2018. Instagram/@officialrumbledoll

Bruce Springsteen’s wife, Patti Scialfa, revealed she was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer in 2018.

Scialfa, now 71, spoke about her health for the first time in the new documentary “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” which premiered Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Scialfa, who is a member of the famed backing band, brought up her diagnosis while explaining why she chose to take a step back from performing around the time of her husband’s “Springsteen on Broadway” residency in 2018.

Scialfa, pictured here with Springsteen in January, spoke about her health in the new documentary “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.” CBS via Getty Images The guitarist, pictured here singing with Springsteen in 1984, shared her diagnosis while explaining her hiatus with the famed band. WireImage

“Touring has become a challenge for me. This affects my immune system, so I just have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” she said, per Rolling Stone.

“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,” she continued.

Scialfa shared that doctors specifically diagnosed her with multiple myeloma, a cancer that “forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

Scialfa was specifically diagnosed with multiple myeloma. officialrumbledoll/Instagram Scialfa, seen above with Springsteen in 2022, did not attend the film’s premiere Sunday. Getty Images for Albie Awards

The guitarist, who has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and wed Springsteen in 1991, did not attend the documentary’s premiere Sunday.

However, Springsteen, 74, was present and posed for photos on the red carpet alongside longtime bandmate Steven Van Zandt, record producer Jon Landau and the film’s director, Thom Zimny.

The “Dancing in the Dark” singer looked classy yet casual in a black suit and white button-down shirt.

The “Born in the USA” singer wore a black suit while attending Sunday’s premiere. Getty Images He took photos with bandmate Steven Van Zandt, record producer Jon Landau and director Thom Zimny. Getty Images

Scialfa previously addressed her hiatus in a 2023 interview, saying she had taken a break to work on a solo album and help take care of the couple’s first grandchild, Lily, whom their son Sam, 30, welcomed in July 2022.

“I didn’t feel as needed in a way because there were a lot of musicians on stage. 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,'” she told the Asbury Park Press that October.

Springsteen and Scialfa reside in New Jersey and also share son Evan, 34, and daughter Jessica, 32.

The couple, pictured here in 1988, tied the knot in 1991. John Atashian/Getty Images Springsteen, shown above with Scialfa in 2021, also faced a health scare last year. Getty Images

The Boss also has been dealing with some health issues and postponed his world tour dates last year.

Springsteen explained that he needed time to fully heal from peptic ulcer disease, which causes open sores to develop on the stomach or small intestine, per the Mayo Clinic.

The “Born in the USA” crooner has since resumed his tour and will next headline Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Friday.