Dolph Lundgren recently revealed he has been struggling with an illness for almost a decade
Lundgren’s younger fiancée supported him throughout his battle.
Fans were not pleased when they finally got engaged.
Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren is famous for his tough-guy roles in movies like “Rocky IV” and “Creed II,” but he has recently gone through something that has caused him to abandon that persona somewhat.
Nobody has heard from Lundgren since his last films; the actor appeared to have taken a step back from acting, but fans only recently learned why.
In a recent interview, Lundgren made the shocking revelation that he had been fighting cancer for eight years. Doctors first discovered a tumor in his kidney in 2015, and the actor has been battling the illness on and off since then.
After removing the first tumor, Lundgren would get a scan every six months to monitor the area. In 2020, he was in his home country of Sweden when he suffered from what he thought was acid reflux. However, an MRI revealed that more tumors had grown in the area.
Doctors found six more tumors, one of which had grown too large for them to try and remove. Lundgren was told he had to start systemic therapy to treat the tumors instead. Unfortunately, by the fall of 2021, doctors discovered more tumors.
Lundgren realized then that it was worse than he thought. Doctors told him he had a tumor outside his kidneys in his spine, lungs, and stomach. The prognosis seemed bleak, and he was advised to take some time off and spend it with his family as much as possible.
Talking about the experience, Lundgren revealed that he asked the doctors how long he had left to live. He shared:
“I think he said two or three years, but I could tell in his voice that he probably thought it was less.”
In disbelief, Lundgren decided to get a second opinion to confirm the dire prognosis. The second doctor he visited found that his kidney cancer was mutating more like lung cancer and should therefore be treated as lung cancer.
The actor admitted that if he had gone through with the treatment plan suggested by the first doctor, he would have had three to four months left to live. However, the new treatment suggested by the second doctor shrunk his tumors by up to 30% within the first three months.
Lundgren shared he spent the last year watching his new medications take form and shrink the tumors he had. Eventually, the medicine shrunk his tumors by up to 90%, and he is now removing the scar tissue the tumors caused.
Speaking about his hopes for the future and what doctors hoped would happen from here on, the actor shared:
“The prognosis is that, hopefully, when they take these out, there’s no cancer activity, and the medication that I’m taking is gonna suppress everything else.”
While it has been difficult for Lundgren to undergo treatments and fight cancer, he has not been alone. His fiancée, who is 40 years his junior, has been by his side throughout.
Lundgren Feels His Fiancée is An “Angel”
Lundgren’s fiancée, Emma Krokdal, has helped him through his cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Lundgren is grateful and described Krokdal was “like an angel sent down to help [him].”
When asked about their age gap, Lundgren agreed that it was significant, and people frowned upon it. However, he also confirmed:
“I feel like Emma is very mature for her age, for sure.”
According to Lundgren, Krokdal, who comes from a small town in Norway and has been through a messy divorce, is mature enough due to her early experiences. In fact, he thinks his fiancée is even more mature than people twice her age.
Why Was the Couple Criticized After Their Engagement?
In 2020, Lundgren knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the woman he says is mature for her age. Thus, they celebrated their engagement and announced it on social media. However, fans were not pleased.
Announcing their engagement, Lundgren shared a photo of himself and Krokdal standing near a table laid with flowers, snacks, and a bottle of champagne. Krokdal held up her left hand, which was adorned with a beautiful diamond ring.
In the caption, Lundgren mentioned that he had proposed to Krokdal in Sweden and called the occasion “very special.” However, most fans did not think the moment was special, nor did they believe the couple should wed.
Krokdal has often been criticized whenever she posts content about herself and Lundgren on social media. Many called her a “gold digger,” and others believed that money was the only reason they were together. One fan even said Lundgren looked like Krokdal’s father.
Lundgren receives similar opinions whenever he posts photos of himself and his younger beau. One image Lundgren posted in March 2021 gained negative attention, with fans mentioning their age gap was too large.
One fan said that although Lundgren was still handsome, they thought Krokdal was simply after his fame and money. The same fan wondered why Lundgren would want to date a woman who was old enough to be his daughter.
Other fans took it upon themselves to issue a warning to Lundgren, saying he shouldn’t marry Krokdal because she was only going to “use [him] for [his] money.” Other fans simply wondered if Krokdal was his daughter.
Despite fans’ criticisms and warnings, Lundgren and Krokdal are still happily in love and awaiting their wedding date. Lundgren remains grateful to Krokdal for her support during his cancer struggle.
