Jenna Fischer Shares How She Told Her Kids About Her Breast Cancer Diagnosis — and What Was Most Important for Them to Know

Mar. 15, 2025

Jenna Fischer.Photo:Jenna Fischer/Instagram

Jenna Fischer/Instagram

Jenna Fischerrecalls the moment she told her kids that she was diagnosed with stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer.While chatting withToday’sHoda Kotbin an emotional sit-down thataired on the NBC morning showon Monday, Oct. 21, the actress, 50 — known for her role onThe Office— opened up about her breast cancer journey. As a mom to son Weston, 13, and daughter Harper, 10, who she shares with husband Lee Kirk, Fischer also shared how she discussed her diagnosis with her children for the first time.“They’re 10 and they’re 13, and they were going to be living in the house while I went through this," she told Kotb. “They’re going to see it.““And the biggest thing that I wanted them to know was that any ways that I seemed sick during this process were side effects of treatments,” she continued. “They weren’t cancer making me sick.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“That distinction, I think, really put them at ease,” Fischer recalled. “And then we just kind of did it together. And they were amazing.”The star added that Kirk was incredibly helpful in being there for her and her kids throughout her chemotherapy treatment.The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Jenna Fisher Instagram.Jenna Fischer/Instagram"My Husband, Lee, was absolutely incredible,” she said. “A typical morning for us would be both of us getting up in the morning and making school lunches and doing school dropoffs.“Fischer teared us before adding, “Now I’m getting emotional about it, but, your know, the most I could do was just get downstairs and sit at the table with a cup of coffee, and he did all the rest.“The star first shared news of her diagnosis inan Oct. 8 Instagram post in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.The Officealum underwent 12 rounds of chemo beginning in February and three weeks of radiation beginning in June. She has since been treated with infusions of two other medications which she will continue to be on until February 2025.The good news is, however, that doctors have told Fischer there is no evidence of cancer any longer. Though her infusion center didn’t have a bell, she celebrated the milestone in her backyard with her husband and two kids.

Jenna Fischerrecalls the moment she told her kids that she was diagnosed with stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer.

While chatting withToday’sHoda Kotbin an emotional sit-down thataired on the NBC morning showon Monday, Oct. 21, the actress, 50 — known for her role onThe Office— opened up about her breast cancer journey. As a mom to son Weston, 13, and daughter Harper, 10, who she shares with husband Lee Kirk, Fischer also shared how she discussed her diagnosis with her children for the first time.

“They’re 10 and they’re 13, and they were going to be living in the house while I went through this,” she told Kotb. “They’re going to see it.”

“And the biggest thing that I wanted them to know was that any ways that I seemed sick during this process were side effects of treatments,” she continued. “They weren’t cancer making me sick.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“That distinction, I think, really put them at ease,” Fischer recalled. “And then we just kind of did it together. And they were amazing.”

The star added that Kirk was incredibly helpful in being there for her and her kids throughout her chemotherapy treatment.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Jenna Fisher Instagram.Jenna Fischer/Instagram

“My Husband, Lee, was absolutely incredible,” she said. “A typical morning for us would be both of us getting up in the morning and making school lunches and doing school dropoffs.”

Fischer teared us before adding, “Now I’m getting emotional about it, but, your know, the most I could do was just get downstairs and sit at the table with a cup of coffee, and he did all the rest.”

The star first shared news of her diagnosis inan Oct. 8 Instagram post in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.The Officealum underwent 12 rounds of chemo beginning in February and three weeks of radiation beginning in June. She has since been treated with infusions of two other medications which she will continue to be on until February 2025.

The good news is, however, that doctors have told Fischer there is no evidence of cancer any longer. Though her infusion center didn’t have a bell, she celebrated the milestone in her backyard with her husband and two kids.

source: people.com