Elle Macpherson reveals how her decision to treat breast cancer led to divorce from Jeffrey Soffer
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Supermodel Elle Macpherson attributes the end of her marriage to billionaire Jeffrey Soffer to her choice to address her breast cancer diagnosis with a holistic approach.
The 60-year-old beauty from Australia made the sensational revelation in her latest memoir, 'Elle: Life, Lessons and Learning to Trust Yourself'.
Elle Macpherson reveals how her decision to refuse chemotherapy led to end of her marriage
The couple, married in 2013, remained together when the model was diagnosed in 2017. Elle Macpherson declined chemotherapy recommended by 32 doctors, a decision that significantly strained her marriage.
“My diagnosis of breast cancer, followed by my final choice of Dr C’s holistic approach to recovery was not one that Jeff could trust or feel at ease about,” she penned.
“And really this process was the straw that broke the camel’s back, it opened up the floodgates and everything changed,” she added, with emotion in her voice. “Our marriage was over and we both knew it.”
Macpherson and Soffer parted ways that year.
Elle Macpherson reveals fear of family disapproval over her decision to decline chemotherapy
Earlier this year, Elle Macpherson sparked controversy by disclosing her decision to forego chemotherapy following her diagnosis with HER2-positive estrogen receptor-positive intraductal carcinoma, a form of breast cancer marked by elevated levels of a protein that promotes rapid cell proliferation.
The cancer had not reached her lymph nodes, yet Macpherson revealed that Soffer was not the sole loved one concerned about her choice to decline conventional treatment.
Additionally, she confessed to not informing her nearest Australian family members of her intentions, due to apprehension over their potential disapproval.
“I didn’t tell my family in Oz, not even my parents,” she discussed her cancer diagnosis in her memoir. “I didn’t want to put them in a situation where they were worrying from afar and I knew that my choices were different from what they may have imagined was good for me.”
“The hardest part was making the decision on how to heal,” she further added. “The saddest part was the lack of understanding from people close to me.”
Elle Macpherson explains decision to decline chemotherapy
In a September interview with Australian television's 'Today', Elle Macpherson stated that her choice to decline chemotherapy was not taken lightly, according to the New York Post.
“Just to be clear, I sought a lot of medical advice,” she remarked. “It was very interesting because every doctor has a different opinion on how to treat my specific case of breast cancer.”
“There was no clear path and there was no guarantees either way,” she went on to say. “So, I just made a decision based on all the information that I gathered and what felt right for me.”
Macpherson is currently in remission and is in excellent health. She informed the program that she has been "healthy" for an extended period.
