24 Celebrities With CML (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia)

There are clubs you join on purpose. CML is not one of them.

I have chronic myeloid leukemia myself, and part of the reason I wanted to write this article is simple: CML is very good at being invisible.

You can be working, travelling, presenting television, playing professional sport, making music or just getting through an ordinary Tuesday while nobody around you can see what is happening inside your body. That’s true of the disease itself, and it can also be true of the treatment used to keep it under control.

So yes, this is a list of celebrities and public figures with CML. It is also a reminder that a serious chronic illness does not always announce itself visually.

Quick answer: The 24 people below have publicly documented diagnoses of chronic myeloid leukemia (also called chronic myelogenous leukemia or, in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, chronic myeloid leukaemia). Twenty-one are living and three are deceased. “Living” refers only to life status; it does not tell us whether someone currently has detectable CML, is in remission, or remains on treatment.

24 celebrities and public figures with CML at a glance

CML can be an invisible illness — and sometimes an invisible disability

CML does not come with a neon sign over your head.

The US National Cancer Institute lists fatigue, unexplained weight loss, drenching night sweats, fever, and pain or fullness below the ribs among possible CML symptoms. It also notes that some people have no symptoms at all when the disease is found.

Then there is treatment. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or TKIs, transformed CML from a disease with a grim prognosis into a condition many people can live with for years or decades. That is extraordinary. It does not mean treatment is consequence-free.

Blood Cancer United lists common TKI side effects including severe tiredness, headaches, rash, muscle cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, low blood counts, and muscle and joint pain. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of patient-reported TKI symptoms found a substantial burden of lower-grade symptoms and noted that clinicians can underestimate what patients experience. A 2026 review of quality-of-life research in CML found fatigue to be the most consistently reported and disruptive symptom, even in an era of excellent disease control.

That gap matters. Your blood results can look reassuring while your body still feels like it has filed a formal complaint.

Not everyone with CML considers themselves disabled, and CML affects people very differently. But when the disease or treatment side effects limit stamina, work, concentration, sleep, mobility or daily life, those limitations may be very real while remaining completely invisible to everyone else.

That is what URevolution means when we talk about invisible disability: you cannot judge what somebody’s body is dealing with by looking at them.

Famous people with CML in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada and Ireland

CML is rare enough that searches for “famous people with CML” often produce the same handful of American names. But chronic myeloid leukaemia is obviously not an American condition, and several public figures from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland have spoken publicly about living with it.

Australia: Edwina Bartholomew and Elle Halliwell

Two well-known Australian media figures have publicly disclosed CML diagnoses: Edwina Bartholomew and Elle Halliwell. Their stories are particularly relevant to the invisible-illness theme because both were diagnosed through blood testing rather than because they looked visibly unwell.

United Kingdom: Chris Corbin and Laura Boyd

In the UK, restaurateur Chris Corbin OBE survived CML after a bone marrow transplant and later served for years as Chair of Leukaemia UK before becoming a patron. Scottish journalist Laura Boyd has also spoken publicly about living with CML since 2009.

New Zealand: Jamie Aureka Maoate-Dunn

For readers searching for New Zealand people with CML, Jamie Aureka Maoate-Dunn is a New Zealand-born rugby prop whose recent leukaemia diagnosis and return to rugby have been reported in the UK rugby press. His published CML story describes fatigue that, in hindsight, had been a sign something was wrong.

Canada: Lisa Machado

Canadian journalist and patient advocate Lisa Machado was diagnosed with CML in 2008 and went on to found the Canadian CML Network. Her work has focused heavily on the part of CML that survival statistics can miss: quality of life, treatment burden and what “living well” actually means.

Ireland: Rachel Purcell

Irish public figure Rachel Purcell was diagnosed with CML after severe fatigue led to blood tests. Her sister Roz later recalled how difficult it was to reconcile the diagnosis with the fact that Rachel looked completely well — which is basically invisible illness in one sentence.

Living celebrities and public figures with CML

1. Roman Reigns

Professional wrestling is not exactly known for subtlety. CML often is.

WWE star Roman Reigns, whose real name is Joe Anoa’i, has spoken publicly about leukemia for years. WWE and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society specifically identified his disease as chronic myeloid leukemia. Reigns disclosed a recurrence in 2018, and in 2019 WWE said he was in remission for the second time.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

A 7-foot-2 basketball legend is difficult to miss. His CML, like most CML, was another matter.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar disclosed his diagnosis in 2009 and told CBS News that he had Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. He went on to speak publicly about treatment and the dramatic changes in CML prognosis.

3. Nivea

R&B singer Nivea joined the club nobody applied to join in 2026.

She disclosed that she had been diagnosed with leukemia earlier in the year and later specified that it was chronic myeloid leukemia. She said treatment was working while she continued with music, parenting and studying audio engineering.

4. Greg LeMond

Winning the Tour de France three times apparently does not provide immunity from weird blood results.

Cycling legend Greg LeMond announced in 2022 that he had chronic myelogenous leukemia after seeking medical care for persistent fatigue.

5. Carlos Carrasco

Major League Baseball pitcher Carlos Carrasco was diagnosed with CML in 2019 after abnormalities were found in his bloodwork. Cleveland’s official medical update specifically identified chronic myeloid leukemia. Carrasco returned to baseball that year and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year.

6. Brian Boyle

Sometimes the life-changing medical appointment begins with a routine sports physical.

Former NHL forward Brian Boyle was diagnosed with CML in September 2017 after abnormalities were found during training camp. In 2018, NHL.com reported that his BCR::ABL1 blood test had reached undetectable levels and that his doctors considered him to be in full molecular remission.

7. Jason Blake

Jason Blake was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2007 shortly after signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The International Ice Hockey Federation documents his CML diagnosis and return to play. He later won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

8. Kevin Alston

Former Major League Soccer defender Kevin Alston was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in April 2013. The New England Revolution documented his diagnosis and return to play later that year.

9. AJ Kitt

Retired alpine skier AJ Kitt was the first American man to compete in four Winter Olympics in alpine skiing. In May 2026, Oregon Health & Science University interviewed Kitt about living with CML and being treated by Dr Brian Druker, whose research helped lead to imatinib.

10. Rick Upchurch

Former Denver Broncos wide receiver and return specialist Rick Upchurch has CML. In a 2025 interview, Upchurch described the blood tests, bone-marrow biopsy and Philadelphia chromosome finding that led to his diagnosis.

11. Alexa Score

Alexa Score is perhaps the clearest reminder on this list that “you look healthy” is not a medical test.

The former professional wakeboarder and television host was diagnosed with CML at 16. In her own account, Score writes that she was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in December 2006. Athleticism, work and appearance tell us very little about the hidden load of chronic illness.

12. Charlie Schlatter

Actor and voice actor Charlie Schlatter, known for Diagnosis: Murder and a long list of animation and game roles, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2006. In an extended interview, Schlatter spoke directly about managing CML while continuing to work.

13. Dorris Muramatsu

Singer-songwriter Dorris Muramatsu, a founding member of the folk group Girlyman, was diagnosed with CML in 2010. Contemporary reporting in the Dallas Voice identified the diagnosis as chronic myelogenous leukemia. Girlyman’s official site uses the spelling Dorris, which is the spelling used here.

14. Laura Boyd

Scottish journalist and television presenter Laura Boyd has lived with chronic myeloid leukemia since 2009. STV identifies her diagnosis as CML and has reported on the support she used during treatment.

15. Elle Halliwell

Australian writer and media personality Elle Halliwell was diagnosed with CML in 2016. Two days later, she learned she was pregnant. The Leukaemia Foundation’s ambassador biography documents her CML diagnosis and her continuing work around blood cancer and chronic illness.

Her diagnosis came after a blood test while she was planning to start a family. Another reminder that invisible illness can be doing plenty before it gives the outside world anything obvious to look at.

16. Edwina Bartholomew

Australian journalist and television presenter Edwina Bartholomew disclosed her CML diagnosis in 2024. The Leukaemia Foundation says she was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2024 and became a National Ambassador in 2025.

Bartholomew has said she had no symptoms when she was diagnosed. For an article about invisible illness, a familiar face on breakfast television is almost too neat an example: you can see the presenter; you cannot see the blood cancer.

17. Chris Corbin OBE

British restaurateur Chris Corbin helped create restaurants including Le Caprice, The Ivy and The Wolseley. He was diagnosed with CML in 1990 at 38 and later received a bone marrow transplant.

Leukaemia UK documents his CML diagnosis and transplant. Corbin went on to become a trustee, served as Chair of the charity for almost a decade, and was later named a patron. His disease reportedly began with something as unremarkable-looking as a small rash under his arm. CML does enjoy making dramatic diagnoses out of very undramatic beginnings.

18. Jamie Aureka Maoate-Dunn

New Zealand-born rugby prop Jamie Aureka Maoate-Dunn has played club rugby in New Zealand and the UK. Darlington Mowden Park identifies him as being from Christchurch, while recent rugby reporting has covered his return to the game after a leukaemia diagnosis.

A published account of Maoate-Dunn’s story states that he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in November 2025 and describes fatigue that he had previously blamed on other things. That detail will sound familiar to plenty of people with invisible chronic illness: sometimes the symptom is obvious only after someone finally gives it a name.

19. Lisa Machado

Canadian journalist and patient advocate Lisa Machado was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2008. A Princess Margaret Cancer Centre publication identifies both her CML diagnosis and her role as founder of the Canadian CML Network.

Machado went on to build the Canadian CML Network into a national patient organisation. More recently, she has written publicly about why good survival statistics are not the same thing as good quality of life — a distinction that matters when fatigue and treatment side effects are largely invisible to everyone except the person living with them.

20. Rachel Purcell

Irish public figure Rachel Purcell was diagnosed with CML in 2015 after severe fatigue eventually led to blood testing and a bone marrow biopsy. In an Irish Independent interview, her sister Roz described how Rachel looked and seemed completely fine even while the family was trying to understand a leukemia diagnosis.

Rachel has since spoken openly about living with chronic myeloid leukemia, remission, daily medication and, more recently, planning pregnancy around TKI treatment. Her story is almost a case study in why “looking well” and “being unaffected” are two very different things.

21. Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin publicly disclosed in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with early-stage chronic myeloid leukemia the previous year. Associated Press reporting carried by CBS News said he responded to treatment and achieved complete remission. His inclusion here concerns only that publicly disclosed medical history.

Public figures with CML who have died

A small but important distinction: having CML and dying from CML are not the same thing.

22. Richard Rockefeller

Physician and philanthropist Dr Richard Rockefeller was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2000. Doctors Without Borders documented his CML diagnosis. Rockefeller died in 2014 when the plane he was piloting crashed shortly after takeoff; his death was not attributed to CML.

23. Ryan O’Neal

Actor Ryan O’Neal, known for Love Story, Paper Moon and Barry Lyndon, was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2001. Contemporary Associated Press reporting identified the disease specifically as CML. O’Neal died in December 2023 at 82; his reported cause of death was congestive heart failure, with cardiomyopathy also listed.

24. Tim Holcomb

Nebraska musician and community worker Tim Holcomb was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2003. His obituary records the CML diagnosis, years of treatment, a stem-cell transplant and a later relapse. Holcomb died in July 2012 at 47.

What this list does — and doesn’t — tell us about living with CML

There is a reason people search for celebrities with CML after a diagnosis. Sometimes you want medical information. Sometimes you simply want evidence that life still contains things other than haematology appointments.

Seeing Roman Reigns wrestle, Edwina Bartholomew present television, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar write, Nivea make music, Jamie Maoate-Dunn play rugby or Lisa Machado build a patient network can widen the picture of what life with CML might contain.

But public visibility can hide private illness just as easily as it reveals it.

A wrestling comeback is not a blood test. A television appearance doesn’t tell us somebody’s BCR::ABL1 result. Looking energetic in a photograph tells us nothing reliable about fatigue, muscle pain, nausea, brain fog, sleep, anxiety, treatment burden or how much energy somebody has left when they get home.

I know that distinction matters because I live with CML too.

The useful message is not that everyone with CML should be winning championships, opening famous restaurants, making records or appearing on television. Frankly, that sounds exhausting. It is that a CML diagnosis and a full human life can occupy the same body at the same time — and much of what that body is dealing with may be invisible.

If you want to go deeper into that idea, read URevolution’s guide to what invisible disability means and what people get wrong about it. If cancer is changing the dynamics of a relationship, there is also a lived-experience piece on what leukemia can do to a marriage. And if somebody you care about has cancer and you’re trying to be useful rather than accidentally awful, read six practical ways to help a friend with cancer.

Frequently asked questions

What type of leukemia does Roman Reigns have?

Roman Reigns has publicly disclosed leukemia, and WWE has specifically identified it as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). WWE stated in 2019 that he was in remission for the second time.

Are there famous Australians with CML?

Yes. Australian journalist Edwina Bartholomew and writer and media personality Elle Halliwell have both publicly disclosed chronic myeloid leukaemia diagnoses.

Are there famous people with CML in the UK?

Yes. British restaurateur Chris Corbin OBE was diagnosed with CML in 1990, while Scottish journalist and television presenter Laura Boyd has publicly discussed living with CML since 2009.

Are there New Zealand people with CML?

New Zealand-born rugby player Jamie Aureka Maoate-Dunn has publicly shared a CML diagnosis and his return to rugby. CML is rare, so there are fewer high-profile New Zealand examples in public reporting than there are in larger countries.

Are there Canadian public figures with CML?

Yes. Canadian journalist and patient advocate Lisa Machado was diagnosed with CML in 2008 and later founded the Canadian CML Network.

Are there Irish public figures with CML?

Yes. Rachel Purcell, sister of Irish media personality Roz Purcell, has spoken publicly about her CML diagnosis, treatment, remission and the impact of the disease on her life.

Are chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia the same disease?

Yes. Chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia are different names for CML. In countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK, you will usually see it spelled chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Is CML an invisible illness?

It often can be. CML may cause symptoms such as fatigue, night sweats, fever and other problems that are not obvious to other people, and some people have few or no symptoms. Treatment can also cause side effects that are largely invisible from the outside.

Can CML be an invisible disability?

For some people, yes. Not everyone with CML identifies as disabled and the impact varies widely. But when CML or treatment effects substantially affect energy, concentration, work, sleep, mobility or everyday activities, the resulting disability can be real without being visible.

What side effects can CML treatment cause?

Side effects depend on the specific TKI and the individual. Commonly reported effects include fatigue, headache, rash, muscle cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, low blood counts, and muscle or joint pain. Anyone concerned about side effects should discuss them with their treating team rather than changing treatment on their own.

Can people live for a long time with CML?

Many people do. Modern BCR::ABL1-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors dramatically improved CML outcomes. The National Cancer Institute reports 10-year event-free and overall survival rates above 90% in studies of people with chronic-phase CML treated with current BCR::ABL1 inhibitors. That population-level figure cannot predict an individual person’s outcome.

Which celebrities and public figures with CML are still alive?

As of September 2026, 21 people on this list are living: Roman Reigns, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nivea, Greg LeMond, Carlos Carrasco, Brian Boyle, Jason Blake, Kevin Alston, AJ Kitt, Rick Upchurch, Alexa Score, Charlie Schlatter, Dorris Muramatsu, Laura Boyd, Elle Halliwell, Edwina Bartholomew, Chris Corbin, Jamie Aureka Maoate-Dunn, Lisa Machado, Rachel Purcell and Lee Zeldin.

Richard Rockefeller, Ryan O’Neal and Tim Holcomb are deceased.

How was this list fact-checked?

Each diagnosis was checked against a source that specifically identified chronic myeloid or chronic myelogenous leukemia. Preference was given to first-person disclosures, official organisations, recognised cancer organisations, professional bodies and established reporting. Life status was checked separately rather than assumed from an old profile.

Cancer is serious enough without playing telephone with the facts.