From Beth Chapman to Gloria Vanderbilt: The Beloved Stars We’ve Lost to Cancer in The First Half of 2019

Beth Chapman

Beloved TV bounty hunter Beth Chapman passed away after a battle with stage 4 lung cancer on June 26 at age 51. Beth was really open with fans as she bravely battled cancer in the public eye. Her first bout with cancer came in 2017, when she was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer. She was treated at the time, and declared cancer-free several months later. However, her cancer returned near the end of 2018 — and this time it had progressed to stage 4.

Beth was inspirational to so many, not only because she was so successful in the bounty hunting field — a career you don’t typically see women thriving in — but because she was so candid about the ups and downs of her cancer battle. She spoke publicly about how she was determined to enjoy the time she had left, and she was relying heavily on religion, as she considered her diagnosis “the ultimate test of faith.” Even though Beth was very candid about her cancer journey, she was quite vague about how she was actually being treated for her cancer. She did say during a Mother’s Day speech that chemotherapy was “not her bag.”

In the week since Beth’s passing, love has poured in for the reality star from fans, family and famous friends alike.

Edith González

Edith González, an extremely popular Mexican TV star with decades of acting experience, sadly passed away in June after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 54. The TV star had an illustrious career that began in the 1970s in television, theatre, and film. González, who was perhaps most famous for roles in Corazón Salvaje, Palabra de mujer and Mujer de madera, faced her cancer with bravery. She regularly updated fans on social media about her treatments and what she was going through.

González was first diagnosed with the disease in 2016, but she was treated and went into remission a year later. According to Entertainment Tonight, she had her ovaries, uterus and lymph nodes removed. She told fans that she was determined to keep living her life as best as she could. However, this year the cancer returned. Unfortunately, recurrence is really common with ovarian cancer. Eighty percent of women with ovarian cancer will go into remission, however, 70 to 80 percent of those women will have a recurrence within the next 5 years, according to Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center.

Karl Lagerfeld

The death of designer Karl Lagerfeld sent shockwaves through the fashion world and beyond. Lagerfeld passed away in February from pancreatic cancer a disease that can be particularly difficult to treat. He was 85. Lagerfeld was known for combining high fashion with camp, and injecting new life into couture brands. He is perhaps best known as the creative director for Chanel, a position he held for 36 years.

He designed the Grand Palais sets for six Chanel collections per year, according to Vogue Magazine, and invented the traveling pre-season show. He was creative director for a number of other designer brands during his life, including Fendi and Chloe. The fashion icon apparently continued to thrive in the fashion world right up until the very end.

Peggy Lipton

Twin Peaks star Peggy Lipton died several years after being diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. When colon cancer has progressed to stage three, that means it has spread from the original site to nearby lymph nodes. Lipton underwent treatment for several years, and tragically lost her battle to the disease in May 2019 at age 72.

Lipton, who was also the mother of comedian and actress Rashida Jones, played Norma Jennings on Twin Peaks  and is the fifth cast member of the show to die of cancer. In a 2018 interview, Lipton's famous daughter said that she and her mom tried to laugh through her mom's treatment as much as they could. "We laughed so much, she almost seemed to forget she was sick," Jones told Oprah.com.

Fatima Ali

Fatima Ali, a fan-favorite on Bravo's Top Chef, passed away in January after a battle with cancer. She was just 29 years old. Fatima had a cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma, which attacks the bones. Fatima initially began cancer treatment in 2017. She actually met with the SurvivorNet team to discuss doing a segment on cooking for people going through cancer treatment.

However, in 2018, she made an announcement via Instagram that her sarcoma had gotten a lot worse and that she would now focus on living out her dreams (exploring the best foods the world has to offer), even as her disease progressed.

Ken Kercheval

Ken Kercheval, star of the iconic soap opera "Dallas," passed away in April of lung cancer. Kercheval played Cliff Barnes, the big-shouldered oil tycoon rival of J.R. Ewing. Kercheval starred in the drama from 1978 to 1981. He got his start in acting on broadway in 1962 and his first TV role came in 1966 on a show called "Search for Tomorrow."

Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States. The majority of cases are caused by smoking, and Kercheval was apparently a very heavy smoker. However, the actor did live for a remarkably long time with the disease. His diagnosis came into the public eye in 1994 after he had surgery to have part of his lung removed. He died in April 2019 at age 83.

While it can be extremely painful to watch a celebrity you admire battle cancer — it can also be incredibly inspirational. The stars on this list inspired countless fans as they faced uncertainty with bravery — and spoke about the reality of taking on cancer.

Gloria Vanderbilt

The Vanderbilt scion, tabloid fixation and style icon died at age 95 after a brief battle with cancer.

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