Dolph Lundgren Discussed ‘Legal Suicide’ With Brother During Cancer Battle

In his new memoir, the Eighties action star said he had "almost given up all hope" before a new doctor realized he'd been misdiagnosed

Action star Dolph Lundgren said he considered “legal suicide” while deep in a cancer battle that he ultimately overcame after his doctors realized he’d been misdiagnosed. 

Lundgren, best known for films like Rocky IV, Universal Soldier, and The Expendables, detailed the experience in his new memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle (via Entertainment Weekly). The actor and martial artist was diagnosed with cancer after doctors extracted a tumor from his kidney in 2015. Over the next several years, he underwent regular scans and seemed fine, but then, in 2020, doctors found additional tumors, including his liver. At the time, he was given three years to live. 

While deep into his cancer treatments, Lundgren said he began to think about “the possibility of killing myself.” He added that his brother, Johan, agreed to help him because Lundgren “didn’t know what kind of condition I might be in once I made that decision.” 

He continued: “I could be in really bad shape by then and not capable of completing the suicide on my own. There are countries in Europe, like Switzerland, that permit legal suicide for people who are terminally ill, but I still might have needed someone there to help me.” 

While Lundgren admitted he was “depressed” and “had almost given up all hope,” the plan never developed beyond discussions between himself and Johan. In early 2022, Lundgren was working withh a new doctor, who realized he’d been misdiagnosed and actually had lung cancer. He was placed on a different cancer treat and, by 2024, confirmed he was cancer free.

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Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle is out today, Sept. 22. Along with the book, Lundgren is also starring in a new documentary about his life, Dolph: Unbreakable, which is set to hit streaming services on Oct. 6. 

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Dial 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ+ youth, is 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).