Hunter Biden issued a serious health update for his father Joe Biden, sharing on Friday that the former president’s cancer had spread.
While speaking with BBC Newsnight’s Paddy O’Connell, the former first son reflected on how hard it has been to watch the Biden patriarch battle cancer.
“It’s really tough, Paddy. And that’s the real answer,” Hunter shared while fighting back his emotions. “My dad in our family is – excuse me – my dad is, to this day and it remains, the center of our family. Not just because of who he is, as the public person. But completely because of who he is to each one of us.”
As Hunter went on, he described the longtime politician as the Biden family’s “rock,” adding, “He has been there for each one of us, in a way that is hard for me to even articulate and explain.”
“Whatever you think about his politics or the decisions that he made, I can tell you this, he’s the best father, the best husband, the best grandfather of anyone that I’ve ever read about, heard about or even seen in a movie,” Hunter noted. “And so, it’s really hard, Paddy … Cancer’s really hard.”
Hunter then acknowledged that their family’s hardship is not unique, noting that no one is “alone in our pain.”
“Everyone has someone in their family that has cancer,” he said. “So, my answer is the same as yours. It’s really, really hard and it’s really sad to watch.”
Hunter confessed that he wished his father “would complain more” about his health struggles, sharing that the former president’s cancer had taken a turn for the worse.
“Because, it’s not good. The cancer has spread,” he shared. “It’s metastasized into his bones and further. It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects. But, he’s still out there. He’s still doing his thing.”
Watch Hunter’s comments below. TheWrap reached out to the Bidens for comment.
The Biden patriarch’s prostate cancer diagnosis was shared by his office in May of last year, where the former president’s team confirmed he was battling an “aggressive” form of the disease.
“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” his office shared at the time. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
The updated added: “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.”
At the time, it was said Biden and his family were “reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
