Rachel Zegler, 21, revealed that she had a breast cancer scare two years ago, when she was 19 years old. The West Side Story star took a photo of her scar and shared it to her Instagram Stories on Sept. 24, alongside a message about the health incident. “Two years ago I found a lump in my breast and went through what was undoubtedly the scariest week of my life,” Rachel began in her message.
“No OB/GYN was taking new patients due to the backlog of the pandemic, but I was fortunate to have the care of my pediatrician who prescribed me an ultrasound, which led to an out-patient biopsy procedure,” Rachel said, before noting that “thankfully” the cancerous lump was benign.
The Golden Globe winner went on to advocate for regular health check ups. “And now the scar serves as a reminder to check my breasts regularly for any irregular growth – the fibroadenoma in my left breast is a common occurrence but nevertheless extremely scary to find,” she said. “Early detection saves lives!!! Check your titty meat :).”
This isn’t the first time Rachel has updated her fans on her health. Back in 2018, the actress revealed that she suffers from depression and anxiety in a tweet. “Hello. My name is Rachel. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and occasionally feel depersonalized/disassociated from reality,” she wrote. “I am a work in progress. I am finding the common ground between me and my mind. And that’s enough. But please, ask if I’m okay. #EndTheStigma.”
Hello. My name is Rachel. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and occasionally feel depersonalized/disassociated from reality. I am a work in progress. I am finding the common ground between me and my mind. And that’s enough.
But please, ask if I’m okay.#EndTheStigma
— rachel zegler (she/her/hers) (@rachelzegler) June 9, 2018
Rachel rose to fame playing Maria in Steven Spielberg‘s 2021 version of West Side Story. She’s set to play the title role of Snow White in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She will star opposite Gal Gadot, who is playing the Evil Queen. Rachel, who is Latina, faced backlash for being cast in the lead role in Snow White, which she discussed on Variety’s Actors on Actors series with Andrew Garfield in January 2022.
“When it was announced, it was a huge thing that was trending on Twitter for days, because all of the people were angry,” she said. “We need to love them in the right direction. At the end of the day, I have a job to do that I’m really excited to do. I get to be a Latina princess.”