William Shatner, the 95-year-old actor best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek, and his 61-year-old daughter Melanie have revealed they were both diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the same time and supported one another through treatment. The pair, who were declared cancer-free in late 2024, disclosed the overlapping illnesses to People magazine, shedding light on a private ordeal that unfolded alongside Shatner's continued public and creative work.

Melanie Shatner Gretsch underwent chemotherapy for stage 4 breast cancer, while her father was diagnosed in June 2023 with stage 4 malignant melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain; he had surgery to remove a facial tumour followed by two years of immunotherapy. Both are now set to launch a podcast, No Time but Now, in which they will interview health experts and fellow survivors, with Shatner saying he feels "healthier now than I've been in years." Separately, the article notes that Strange New Worlds producers have repeatedly tried to bring Shatner back as Kirk, an idea he has so far turned down unless it would "mean something."