Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone was diagnosed with thyroid cancer earlier this spring, a spokesperson for Redstone said in a statement to Reuters on Thursday.
After feeling fatigue and other symptoms, Redstone sought medical help about two months ago and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer the next day. Surgeons removed her thyroid gland, but some cancer cells remained as they had spread to her vocal cords, according to the New York Times, which first reported the news on Thursday.
“She is maintaining all professional and philanthropic activities throughout her treatment, which is ongoing. She and her family are grateful that her prognosis is excellent,” Redstone‘s spokesperson Molly Morse said.
Redstone kept her diagnosis private, sharing it with only a tight circle of relatives, close friends, and advisers including David Ellison, the Skydance head and tech heir, whose company is set to purchase Paramount and the Redstone family’s stake, NYT added.
The diagnosis comes against the backdrop of Paramount preparing for an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, which still requires U.S. FCC approval. The company also entered mediation to try and settle a lawsuit by U.S. President Donald Trump against CBS, reportedly offering $15 million to settle.
