John Cena revealed that he was previously diagnosed with skin cancer.
The American actor and professional wrestler opened up about his past battle with cancer as he teamed up with Neutrogena for a new campaign promoting its liquid sunscreen.
Photo: WWE
According to People, Cena admitted that he never wore sunscreen while growing up.
“I grew up in a small town next to Newburyport and Salisbury Beach. The Massholes call it the North Shore,” he recalled.
“My mom raised five boys and I’m pretty sure she just wanted to just keep us alive and healthy. She had her hands full for sure, so I certainly do not blame her. And me being born in ’77, this was kind of all new knowledge.”
Cena shared that he “fell in love with the sun” after moving from New England to Florida in his early twenties and admitted that he had “neglected” his skin during that time.
“I was stubborn. I didn’t want to have a routine and I also thought the problem would never reach me. And it’s one of those things where I had a ton of exposure with minimal protection and it caught up with me,” he said.
Until he decided to visit a dermatologist, where he discovered a cancerous spot on his right pec.
“It wasn’t until I went to a dermatologist and got a skin checkup and had a cancerous spot removed from my right pec,” he revealed.
However, a year later, Cena disclosed that another spot was found near his right shoulder.
“A year later I went back and had another spot removed close to my right shoulder. It shows up like a white polka dot on the side of my chest and on my shoulder. If you watch WWE, you’ll be able to see them,” he noted.
Reflecting on his past battle with cancer, the WWE superstar emphasized the importance of taking care of his health and expressed gratitude for being able to serve as an advocate today.
“I’m at a great space in my life where that’s now important to me. And I’m so grateful to be able to dodge those two bullets, but I wear them as a reminder of, ‘Hey man, you need to take the extra few seconds to protect yourself every day,'” he added.
Cena admitted that he never imagined himself being part of a skincare campaign and took the opportunity to share a piece of advice about wearing sunscreen.
“If you’re out there and you brush your teeth, at a young age you learned that going to the dentist when your teeth are in bad shape is bad because it’s painful. The same thing will happen if you don’t take care of your skin, and it’s actually easier than brushing your teeth. Because it’s not something you should exercise to just make you look more beautiful. It’s something you should exercise to allow you to be who you are for a longer period of time,” he underscored.
Cena has been signed to WWE since 2001 and holds a record 16 WWE world championship titles. In July 2024, he announced that he would retire from WWE this year.
Beyond his wrestling legacy, he has also starred in acclaimed films such as “The Suicide Squad,” “Fast & Furious 9 and 10,” “Argylle,” “Barbie,” and “Blockers.”
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