As the future of her father’s sprawling entertainment empire hangs in the balance, Shari Redstone has made a startling health revelation, divulging that she has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
The news, first reported by the New York Times, was confirmed by a spokesperson on Thursday, who said the 71-year-old Redstone was diagnosed earlier this spring. “While it has been a challenging period, 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,” the spokesperson said.
Redstone’s condition was discovered when she went to her doctor about two months ago for symptoms including fatigue. Redstone’s thyroid gland was removed in a surgery that took place last month, she told the Times. After cancer cells were found to have spread to her vocal chords, she is currently undergoing radiation treatment.
Her health troubles arrive as Redstone’s Paramount Global is attempting to complete an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, a transaction that is awaiting approval from the Federal Communications Commission.
In a move that threatened to thwart the proceedings, President Donald Trump in November sued one of Paramount Global’s key programs, CBS’ 60 Minutes, alleging that the program had aired a “heavily tampered interview” with his political rival, former vice president Kamala Harris, in a bid to bolster her presidential chances.
While legal observers have argued the case has no merit and 60 Minutes did some routine television news editing, the Trump-appointed head of the FCC, Brendan Carr, reinstated a complaint against CBS over the issue, even as he has claimed he believes it is separate from Trump’s $20 million suit.
Fearing that Redstone would seek to settle the Trump suit to smooth the way for the Skydance merger, Democratic senators including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have called on her not to back down, calling the legal complaint “an attack on the United States Constitution and the First Amendment” and an attempt to “extort” 60 Minutes.
In the meantime, CBS News leaders have suggested they’re facing extra scrutiny as the merger remains in limbo. Producer Bill Owens left in April, saying he was unable to make “independent decisions.” CBS News head Wendy McMahon resigned the next month, saying she and the company did not agree on “a path forward.”
With the Skydance Media transaction, Redstone sees the possibility of keeping her father Sumner Redstone’s entertainment empire whole and in the hands of Hollywood insiders. Sumner Redstone died in 2020 at the age of 97, and his daughter waged a hard-fought battle for control over his assets as her father’s health declined in the late 2010s.
The Times reported that people around Redstone say she is more focused on her health, family and philanthropic endeavors at this point than on the business of Paramount Global, even as she is hopeful to see the deal approved.
