Pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with early breast cancer
NEW YORK — The English pop singer Jessie J says she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will undergo surgery after her performance at the London music festival Capital's Summertime Ball next weekend.
Jessie J, 37, shared the news in an Instagram video on Wednesday. 'I was diagnosed with early breast cancer,' she said in the clip. 'Cancer sucks in any form, but I'm holding onto the word 'early'.'
'It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job. I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive (expletive) and more music.'
The annual Summertime Ball will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, June 15.
She told her social media audience that she felt compelled to share her diagnosis.
'I just wanted to be open and share it,' she said. 'One, because, selfishly, I do not talk about it enough. I'm not processing it because I'm working so hard. I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support and also their own stories. I'm an open book. It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much similar and worse – that's the bit that kills me.'
The Grammy-nominated Jessie J has long been celebrated for her robust soprano and R&B-informed pop hits, like the 2014 collaboration with Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande, 'Bang Bang,' and 2011's 'Domino.'
She has released five albums across her career, most recently, 2018's Christmas album, 'This Christmas Day.' She has been releasing new music in 2025, including the singles 'Living My Best Life' and 'No Secrets.' A new album is expected later this year.
She has a son, Sky Safir Cornish Colman, born in 2023.
A representative for Jessie J did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Some animals seem to appreciate music. What does that mean for human evolution?
Ronan the sea lion can dance to a lot of different songs, but there is something about 'Boogie Wonderland,' by Earth, Wind and Fire that really gets her going. It didn't take more than a few days for Peter Cook, a marine mammal sciences professor at the New College of Florida, to train Ronan to bop her head to music. Using fish as a reward, he taught her the movement. Then he taught her to move when a metronome played. Over the course of the next two months, he gave her a fish every time she synchronized her head bops to the beat of the music. Once that clicked, she could do it 60 times in a row within a couple of days, he said. Before long, she was able to do this with music recorded live in a studio with natural fluctuations, complex instrumentation and syncopation, meaning different beats were emphasized in different measures, Cook explained. And it wasn't just Earth, Wind and Fire that got her moving, but also the Backstreet Boys and other rock songs. 'Once she understood the task, she seemed to be able to transfer that knowledge over to even complex musical types of stimuli, which do have things like meter,' Cook told Salon in a phone interview. 'The thing is, we're just not sure how she thinks about or understands things like meter, syncopation or anything like that.' Historically, many thought that humans were the only animals that could recognize an external beat and synchronously move to it. But in 2007, Snowball the cockatoo went viral for dancing to the rhythm of the Backstreet Boys. Then, in 2013, Ronan the sea lion similarly acquired world-fame for moving her head rhythmically to the beat of music. These two case studies are part of a growing field of research set on trying to understand which animals have the capacity to be musical, providing clues on how and why music evolved in humans. In 1871, Charles Darwin wrote: "The perception, if not the enjoyment, of musical cadences and of rhythm is probably common to all animals.' Darwin suggests that if music gives us pleasure, it has an evolutionary purpose. And if all animals share a common ancestor, it could be something that is evolutionarily shared. But that isn't easy to investigate. 'We have this problem in studying the origins of musicality … Music doesn't fossilize,' said Henkjan Honing, a professor of Music Cognition at the University of Amsterdam. 'Cross-species work is a way of resolving that problem because the assumption is that if you share a certain trait with a genetically close species, then the common ancestor might also have had that particular skill.' In a way, all animals make rhythms, whether in the form of fireflies flashing, birds chirping or even a tiger pacing back and forth. Some of these rhythms are influenced by pure physiology: Walking, swimming and having a heartbeat are all rhythmic. Yet defining what constitutes music is challenging because it is inherently subjective. Plus, we don't know if animals experience music as music, or if that is our own human experience we are projecting onto them. In one study released last month, eastern and western chimpanzees — which are two different subspecies — were observed in the wild to have distinct drumming patterns. These patterns are short, structured and rhythmic, but they are thought to be used more for communication purposes than for music, said study author Vesta Eleuteri, who studies the evolution of social cognition and communication at the University of Vienna. 'Some chimpanzees drum with isochrony [occurring at the same time], but we didn't find evidence of other core musical rhythms that are present in humans,' Eleuteri told Salon in a video call. Musicality generally implies that animals have control over the rhythm they are making and use it flexibly. One way to determine if an animal is musical is to see if they have the ability to identify a note's pitch in relation to other notes. Another way, which has been studied more, is to see if they are capable of synchronizing to beats in a rhythm, Honing children have been shown to do this before they can walk or talk, though it's unclear whether this ability is learned or innate. Children aren't perfectly synchronized to the beat at younger ages and they improve over time, suggesting that it could be something that is socially learned. On the other hand, one 2009 study found evidence in baby's brains that they were detecting rhythmic patterns as young as seven months old, which could indicate that this ability is already functional at birth. Nevertheless, in a study published in May, Ronan the sea lion was shown to perform better than adult humans when tasked with moving in sync to a beat. Although Ronan doesn't perform this task outside of her training sessions on her own, she does get a fish regardless of whether or not she moves to the music in training sessions, indicating she is voluntarily moving to the beat, Cook said. It's unclear what motivates Ronan to perform this activity, but Cook said sea lions are kind of like the Border Collies of the sea and can quickly learn new tasks. As such, it could have something to do with mastering a task, he explained. 'I think she enjoys the cognitive challenge and the opportunity to sort of master something and then practice that mastery,' he said. 'I just don't know if it's about groove the way it is with humans.' Looking at similarities and differences between our closest living relatives, primates, can provide clues into whether music shares a common ancestral origin. In humans, if we are walking or typing and listening to music, we naturally sync up to the rhythm. In studies conducted by Yuko Hattori, an assistant professor at Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute, chimpanzees were able to synchronize their movement to a variety of rhythms. Similar findings were also reported in another study with a bonobo, in which the bonobo was also able to synchronize its drum beats to a human in the experiment. Movements from primates in these studies are not as precise as humans, but one hypothesis used to explain the origins of music could help explain the differences. It suggests that in humans, our ability to move in time with a beat stems from vocal learning. It could be that humans' ability to refine that beat synchronization evolved along with our vocalization abilities, Hattori said. 'The monkeys are a more distant evolutionary distant species, and so perhaps that there is some gradual development in the course of primate evolution,' Hattori told Salon in a video call. This hypothesis could explain why birds like Snowball and humans can move to a rhythm, although it raises questions about Ronan the sea lion's ability to move to the beat. Sea lions don't naturally adapt their calls to external stimuli in the wild, although seals do, which share an evolutionary root with sea lions more than 20 million years up the ancestral tree. However, it could be that this shared ancestor is related to some degree of vocal learning in sea lions. It's rare to get a brain scan of chimpanzees or sea lions due to ethical reasons, so what is happening neurologically when these animals move to the music is also unknown. However, experiments in birds like the zebra finch help provide some answers as to why this species sings. Although zebra finches sing their own songs and do not move to external rhythms, they do at some point learn those songs from other zebra finches, so there is some degree of learning and internalization related to music. In one 2017 study, Ofer Tchernichovski, who studies animal behavior at Hunter College, and his team set up an experiment in which birds had to get an unpleasant air puff in order to reach a peep hole where they could see a singing bird. What they found was that males were always willing to 'pay' to hear any song, whereas females were only willing to hear the song if they were presented with the song of their mate. When females were presented with the song of her mate, dopamine levels went up. 'The thing is, the females are not very sensitive to songs, so this was exactly the opposite of what we thought,' Tchernichovski told Salon in a video call. 'What we think is that for females, the song is really about sex, whereas for male zebra finches, it's more social.' Another study released earlier this year found dopamine activity increased in young zebra finches when they sang songs that were closer to their eventual adult song versions compared to when they sang songs that deviated further away from them. Other studies have shown male zebra finches 'self-evaluate' their songs when practicing alone with songs they sing better activating the dopamine system more than songs they sing worse. However, when singing for females, their dopamine system is activated by a social response based on the cues they receive from the female. Studies show that the dopamine system in humans is also activated when we listen to music. In one study, people listened to their favorite music while under an fMRI machine. In anticipation of that moment, the dopamine system was activated in the brain. Furthermore, studies have also shown that musical training in adolescence increases empathy and prosocial behaviors. In other words, it brings us together — which we see when we clap to the beat at a concert or sing the lyrics to popular songs. One 2014 study found infants were more likely to help someone if that person rocked them synchronously versus whether they did so out of rhythm. 'One of the theories that is important for the origins of musicality is that it could be a way of social bonding, of increasing the social cohesion of the group,' Honing said. 'You see the same thing with Snowball: He likes to dance when his owner is there … She always dances with him, and that's what the bird likes.' 'Enjoyment is the key,' Honing added. 'If you get pleasure out of something, that means it's important biologically, so it might be an adaptation.'
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads '28 Years Later.' Here's where you might recognize the rest of the cast from.
"28 Years Later" is the long-gestating sequel to Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later." Aaron Taylor-Johnson leads the film alongside newcomer Alfie Williams. Here's where you might recognize the rest of the cast from. "28 Years Later" brings the terrifying Rage virus back to the big screen as director Danny Boyle returns to examine postapocalyptic Britain once more. It's the third film in the franchise following 2007's "28 Weeks Later" and is released on June 20. It picks up decades after the initial outbreak turned the British population into bloodthirsty, sprinting zombies. "28 Years Later" revolves around the inhabitants of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of Northumberland. The tide cuts Lindisfarne off from the mainland most of the time, keeping it safe from the infected. Things get bloody when Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is tasked with taking his son Spike, played by newcomer Alfie Williams, to the world beyond the island. While Boyle has recruited some talented actors for "28 Years Later," Cillian Murphy won't return to the franchise just yet. Here's where you've seen the main cast before. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is known for movies like "Kick-Ass," "Kraven the Hunter," and "Nosferatu." Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Jamie in "28 Years Later," and he takes his son onto the mainland, where they come face-to-face with the infected. The actor previously starred in the "Kick-Ass" movies, and played superhero Quicksilver in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." He also appeared in the 2014 "Godzilla" reboot and had a supporting role in Christopher Nolan's "Tenet." Last year he led Sony's "Kraven the Hunter" movie as the titular Marvel villain, before getting his first brush with the horror genre in "Nosferatu." Jodie Comer made her name in British dramas like "Doctor Foster" and recently starred in movies like "Free Guy" and "The Bikeriders." Jodie Comer plays Jamie's wife Isla (and Spike's mother) in "28 Years Later." Comer started her career by starring in buzzy British dramas like "My Mad Fat Diary," "Doctor Foster," and "Killing Eve." She made the jump to Hollywood in the last five years, and worked with Ryan Reynolds on "Free Guy," and starred opposite Ben Affleck and Adam Driver in Ridley Scott's "The Last Duel." In 2023, she played Kathy Bauer in "The Bikeriders" with Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. Ralph Fiennes played Voldemort in "Harry Potter" and led 2024's "Conclave." Ralph Fiennes plays the mysterious Dr Ian Kelson in "28 Years later." The actor is one of the most famous British stars of the past 30 years, following Oscar-nominated performances in films such as "Schindler's List," "The English Patient," and 2024's "Conclave." He may be best known for playing Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" franchise, and the new M in Daniel Craig's "James Bond" movies. Jack O'Connell started out in "Skins" but recently appeared in "Back to Black" and "Sinners." Jack O'Connell plays Sir Jimmy Crystal in "28 Years Later," but the details of his role are being kept secret and out of the film's marketing material. He rose to fame thanks to his role as Cook in the teen drama, "Skins," before starring in critically acclaimed British movies and shows including "This Is England," "Eden Lake," and "'71." He later appeared in Netflix's "Lady Chatterley's Lover" opposite Emma Corrin, and played Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Felder-Civil, in "Back to Black." In 2024, O'Connell portrayed the vampire villain, Remmick, in Ryan Coogler's "Sinners." Erin Kellyman starred in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" before "28 Years Later." Erin Kellyman plays Jimmy Ink in "28 Years Later," but her role has been kept out of the marketing for the film. She also got her start in British TV thanks to shows like "Raised By Wolves" and the "Les Misérables" miniseries. She started to get more attention after her brief role as rebel pirate Enfys Nest in "Solo: A Star Wars Story," which led to her playing villain Karli Morgenthau in the Marvel series, "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier." She continued her TV streak in 2022 by starring in Netflix's "Top Boy" and Disney's "Willow." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What it's really like working with David Attenborough behind the camera
Sir David Attenborough is a national treasure with a remarkable career that spans eight decades; and he's still working at 99-years-old. Attenborough even worked on his 98th birthday to film BBC show Asia last year. Now Yahoo UK speaks to those who worked closely with the natural historian on his latest film — Ocean With David Attenborough — that reveals the ocean is vital for our survival and shows "shocking" never-before-seen footage of bottom trawling. The nature documentary movie will air on National Geographic and be available to stream on Disney+ on Sunday, 8 June. Director Keith Scholey shares insight into what it's really like to work with Attenborough after working together for more than four decades. He tells Yahoo UK: "It's always incredible [to work with David Attenborough]. I've worked with him for 44 years so it's not a new experience but every time, it's a different experience. "I learned so much, always through my whole life I keep on learning from this amazing man, and this has been a really special film because together we've all been on this mission to try and tell the world about the power of ocean protection and it's such an uplifting story... And wow! It's just amazing seeing David, a 98-year-old man, giving performances like he did for our film. It's extraordinary." Working with Attenborough for four decades, Keith reveals the new thing he learned from him while working on film Ocean together. He adds: "Well, I think the thing with David is that so much has happened to him in all his life. That when you, when we sit around and tell stories, he always comes up with a new story about something he did. Which you thought, 'wow, you were there'. "You saw that happen, you were part and parcel of that moment in history, and which I thought I had no idea [about], and it's that depth of his experience. He's probably known every prime minister this country's had since Winston Churchill and just that alone [is impressive]. "Another prime minister comes along, they will want to meet him! And it's just, 'I've met a lot of those.' But he has a sort of an amazing insight over so many things way beyond natural history." Also in conversation with Yahoo UK, director Colin Butfield hails Attenborough as a "living legend" and "absolutely brilliant" to work with. "It's all you could have ever hoped for and more," he says. "He's the living legend and I'm sure you did, but I grew up watching David Attenborough from an extremely early age. "And to be working on this with him, directing, producing this really authored personal piece that he says is the greatest message he's ever told is just the biggest privilege ever." Check out Ocean With David Attenborough in pictures below Ocean With David Attenborough released 8th May 2025 Executive Producer, Scientific Advisor and National Geographic Explorer, Enric Sala praises Attenborough as the voice everyone trusts. He explains: "For me, the biggest satisfaction is to see him tell that story in the film, right, to have all that scientific information, all that evidence, told in the voice for nature, the voice of authority, that's such a gift." In the movie, the 99-year-old reflects on his own mortality as he has lived on the planet for nearly 100 years. Butfield explains why this is an important part of the film and absolutely crucial to include. "He [David Attenborough] is the most trusted voice and storyteller in the world so when he says something everyone listens," director Butfield says. "So that's a heck of an attribute to a film. And as you say, this is his journey, [his] discovery as much as anyone else's. This film is a love letter to the world to save the ocean. After nearly 100 years on Earth, he reaches this epic conclusion and that's just amazing. "The film is the end of this big journey of discovery for him. It's a journey of discovery of the ocean and hopefully the beginning of a journey of discovery for all of us. It certainly was for me, it's the beginning of a completely new journey for me. It's changed my life forever, what I found out by making this film." Ocean with David Attenborough ends with the powerful message that there is hope and Attenborough predicts that the ocean "may not just recover but thrive beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen". Ocean with David Attenborough airs Sunday 8 June at 8pm on National Geographic and streams the same day on Disney+.
