Dolph Lundgren, 68, reveals seeking second medical opinion 'saved' his life after kidney cancer diagnosis

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By JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ, US ASSISTANT SHOWBIZ EDITOR

Published: 21:11 BST, 6 October 2026 | Updated: 01:13 BST, 7 October 2026

Dolph Lundgren has revealed that if he had not sought a second medical opinion during his battle with kidney cancer, he likely would still not be here today.

The 68-year-old action man best known for his role as the villain in Rocky IV was diagnosed in 2015 after doctors found a tumor.

And things looked bleak for the towering 6feet4 actor after receiving the wrong cancer treatment for years before he decided to look elsewhere for advice on how to deal with the disease.

Lundgren, who is married to 30-year-old Hardcut Vodka co-founder Emma Krokdal, told Us Weekly: 'Getting a second opinion, that saved my life.

'I was misdiagnosed [and] had I not sent all my charts and everything to [the] doctor at UCLA, I wouldn’t have been sitting here right now.'

However, by that time, his cancer had progressed with tumors spreading to his lungs, spine, stomach and liver.

Dolph Lundgren has revealed that if he had not sought a second medical opinion during his battle with kidney cancer, he likely would still not be here today 

Lundgren announced he was cancer free in November 2024 (above) but still undergoes scans every four to five months to make sure he remains 'clean'

'It was both [disbelief and relief],' he told the outlet.

'Disbelief first, and then we started the second treatment, the new treatment, [and] it was a relief that it started working quite quickly.'

Lundgren went on to say that he was 'a little upset' about learning what had happened with his first medical opinion and admitted that he and wife Krokdal even considered pursuing a malpractice case and donating the proceeds to charity if they were to win but ultimately opted against it. 

'I decided it [was] going to be a mess. Who needs it? I was still going through treatment, and then I realized that they weren’t doing it out of spite; they just had made a mistake. People make mistakes,' he said.

Lundgren married Krokdal, a personal trainer who married the muscleman in 2023 after meeting him at their gym, in 2023.

He credited his wife with helping him get through what he says was the 'worst part' of his illness while working on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Expend4ables as he tried to keep his diagnosis to himself.

He explained: '[Emma] was there and helped me with the treatments, with my diet because I could only eat certain things. I had sores in my mouth and so forth.

'She was just fantastic. So without her, it would have been very, very difficult, I think, to pull through.'

Lundgren married to 30-year-old Emma Krokdal in 2023 and credits her with helping him get through what he says was the 'worst part' of his illness. Above, the couple in June 2024

The Swedish star's breakout role came in 1985 when he starred as champion Russian boxer Ivan Drago opposite Sylvester Stallone in  Rocky IV

Then came the muscle man's first leading role as He-Man in 1987's Masters of the Universe 

 Lundgren said he was cancer free in November 2024 but still undergoes scans every four to five months to make sure he remains 'clean.'

He told Us Weekly: 'Obviously I’m aware of the fact that psychologically that something could come back. And look, it’s just part of life. I can’t change that.'

The Swedish star's breakout role came in 1985 as he starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the aforementioned Rocky IV as champion Russian boxer Ivan Drago.

Then came the muscle man's first leading role, which was playing He-Man in 1987's Masters of the Universe. 

Lundgren's new documentary Dolph: Unbreakable is now available to stream on digital platforms.