Shari Redstone, the chair and controlling shareholder of Paramount Global, has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent surgery last month, TheWrap has learned.
“Shari Redstone was diagnosed with thyroid cancer earlier this spring,” her spokesperson Molly Morse told TheWrap. “While it has been a challenging period, she is maintaining all professional and philanthropic activities throughout her treatment. She and her family are grateful that her prognosis is excellent.”
According to the New York Times, Redstone first consulted doctors in April after experiencing fatigue and other symptoms. Redstone underwent surgery to have her thyroid gland removed, but the cancer had spread to her vocal cords, requiring further radiation treatment.
Prior to this announcement, Redstone had shared her diagnosis with Skydance Media head David Ellison, as well as close family and friends. Redstone is waiting for FCC approval to allow a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance, which would see her exiting ownership as well as the merged company’s board.
She is mired in a lawsuit with President Donald Trump over a 2024 interview by CBS’ “60 Minutes” with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming that the program aired a “heavily tampered” version of that interview in an effort to bolster Harris’ chances of winning the 2024 presidential election.
A settlement of that lawsuit is widely seen as a prerequisite for the FCC, led by Trump appointee Brendan Carr, to approve the merger.
Paramount has made a $15 million settlement offer to Trump, but he refused, demanding at least $25 million as well as an equal amount in free commercial time and an apology from CBS News. The lawsuit has roiled the network, with longtime “60 Minutes” producer Bill Owens resigning from the company in April on claims that he was unable to make “independent decisions.” CBS News head Wendy McMahon resigned the following month.
The New York Times first reported the news of Redstone’s diagnosis Thursday.
