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Jill Martin is opening up about navigating life a year after beating breast cancer.
“I hold two emotions that don’t normally go together simultaneously,” the 48-year-old told Us Weekly on Tuesday at the “Today” show taping. “I’m so grateful to be cancer-free, but on the other hand, I just came out of a year of fog and people look at me and they think I look like myself. To me, I look totally different and my body’s totally different.”
She added about the last 12 months, “I’ve spent the last year just trying to save my life. And now, I’m dealing with the mental trauma of it all.”
“And I think a lot of survivors will tell you, it’s never over. It’s not like, ‘When are you done?’ or ‘Is it over?’ It’s never over. This is a fight I will fight my entire life. I think about chemotherapy every single day.”
Moving forward, Martin explained that it’s her “mission in life” to raise awareness for the disease and to encourage others to get tested for breast cancer.
“My year has been earth-shattering [for] my family and it could have been avoided,” confessed the Emmy-winning host. “I got it because I did not get genetic testing in time. … It’s not just a history of breast cancer. Ask your doctor about genetic testing. I know people are nervous and they say, ‘I don’t wanna know.’ Trust me. The alternative is worse. I do not want one more person to go through [it].”
As for her “Today” family, Martin said they were her “rock” and “so incredibly supportive” through her breast cancer journey.
The “Ambush Makeover” vet and her colleagues commemorated the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness month by handing out sherpa jackets from Martin’s new clothing brand, By Jill Martin.
Martin teamed up with the WNBA and NBA to create pink versions of the stylish coats, with proceeds going toward the Basser Center for BRCA.
“This is really the silver lining out of this nightmare here, is that I was in bed [for] most of it,” she gushed while sporting the pink jacket on air. “So, I had to be creative in a different kind of way. And so, I took my hero items and I went out and got the best IP, and now, By Jill Martin is launched.”
Many friends and fellow celebrities shared their praises for Martin on the episode.
Guest Mariska Hargitay called Martin a “warrior.”
“[Jill] said something today, that it was no accident that I was here. And, you know, my mother [Jayne Mansfield] loved pink,” the “Law & Order: SVU” star told the outlet. “And when I saw that today, it’s like all these women love you and … you have all this maternal, pink love energy around you. And it just resonated so deeply with me. And I adore you and your strength is your beauty.”
Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager also surprised their colleague with a video message from her friend Dwyane Wade.
“I just want to say that the courage that you have, the tenacity that you approach things [with] and the way that you go after things has always been something I’ve admired about you,” the athlete, 42, told Martin. “And I admire that you have shared your story, that you have continued to try to help so many others, not only by your platform, [but] by the work that you do. And so, I just wanted to give you a salute and say that I’m proud of you and I’m thankful to call you a friend.”
Martin announced her breast cancer diagnosis in July 2023 during an episode of the NBC show. The journalist revealed she would undergo a double mastectomy.
Four months later, Martin shared she had completed chemotherapy, celebrating the moment with an Instagram video of herself ringing a bell in the hospital.
“Not quite sure how to express my gratitude. Not enough words,” she captioned the carousel. “I hold two strong emotions very tight that often are not held together. I am grateful that I caught my cancer early enough to be able to treat it and that chemotherapy helped me fight it- I am still shocked this whole thing happened.”
She continued, “I am grateful I got to ring the bell with all my might after finishing this part of my journey. I am grateful I get to be with my family today.”
“I ring this bell with all my might. Honoring my mother who beat this disease, my grandmother who we lost to it and toall those who fought and are continuing to fight this battle. I feel like I can do anything now….but first I will start by eating (a lot) of my husband’s stuffing followed by sushi, a sip of a dirty martini and hugs from some of my favorite people.”