Patti Scialfa, the wife and longtime bandmate of Bruce Springsteen, has secretly been battling blood cancer since 2018. The 71-year-old singer-songwriter opened up on her shocking diagnosis for the first time in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday.

Bruce Springsteen's wife Patti Scialfa reveals shocking blood cancer diagnosis

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer discussed her diagnosis while explaining why she chose to step back from the music scene during her husband's Springsteen on Broadway residency in 2018. Scialfa, who has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 tied the knot with the Born in the U.S.A. hitmaker in 1991.

“I’ve been performing with this band for 40 years. With those first performances, it felt so good to be back onstage. Touring has become a challenge for me. In 2018, well, Bruce and I were doing a play on Broadway. I was diagnosed with early-stage multiple myeloma,” she said in the documentary, which will be released October 25 on Hulu and Disney Plus.

“This affects my immune system, so I just have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” she went on, adding, “Every once in a while, I come to a show or two, and I can sing a few songs onstage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that,” according to People.

While the rock guitarist was not present at the film's premiere in Canada, Springsteen attended the event and posed for photos alongside their bandmate Steven Van Zandt, record producer Jon Landau and the film’s director, Thom Zimny. During a post-screening panel, the 74-year-old rock singer told Washington Post, “When Patti’s able to make it, I can see her there. … I’m not alone. You’re risking everything you have, but you’re not alone.”

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