Beloved French-born actress Chantal Poullain has opened up about her latest health battle, revealing that she quietly underwent surgery for lung cancer during a months-long absence from the public eye, according to reports from Czech television and media outlets.
The 69-year-old artist, who has won the hearts of audiences across the Czech Republic over decades of stage and screen work, chose to keep her diagnosis private from December through March. Speaking candidly about her recovery on the Czech Television anniversary series 13. komnata and in subsequent interviews with CNN Prima News, Poullain explained that extreme, unyielding fatigue prompted her to seek medical evaluation.
„I’ve had rehabilitations and all that, but I am a fighter. No illness is going to bring me to my knees,“ Poullain told reporters during a recent public appearance at the premiere of the film Chica Checa, reflecting the resilient spirit that has guided her through multiple health crises.”
A History of Resilience Against Cancer
This diagnosis marks the third time Poullain has faced cancer. According to reports compiled by Život.org, her first encounter with the disease occurred at age 22, when she was diagnosed with third-stage cervical cancer. She successfully overcame the illness following medical treatment.
In 2011, she faced a second diagnosis of breast cancer. Keeping the news largely to herself, she once again underwent treatment and beat the disease. When extreme fatigue began paralyzing her from morning until night late last year, her internal instincts urged her to consult physicians immediately.
„I told the doctors: ‘Open me up anywhere, but get it out,’“ Poullain recalled in her 13. komnata interview, as detailed by coverage from Seznam Medium. While initial hopes pointed toward a less invasive laparoscopic procedure, complications during surgery required a more extensive intervention. Poullain spent several weeks recovering in the hospital, marking both Christmas and New Year’s Eve under medical care.”
Family Milestones and Personal Support
The rigorous months of hospital recovery and ongoing physical rehabilitation have left lingering effects, including occasional breathlessness. However, Poullain continues targeted exercises to rebuild her physical stamina and has reduced her daily medication intake to just a few pills, looking forward to returning to the theater stage in September.
This challenging chapter coincided with a profound family joy: the birth of her first grandchild, Rozalie Charlotte. Poullain shared that welcoming her granddaughter provided immense emotional strength and a renewed motivation to look ahead. Her former partner, actor Bolek Polívka, also experienced a publicized health scare during a theatrical performance around the same period, adding further stress to the family circle before Poullain’s return to public life.
Reflecting on her journey, Poullain noted that her perspective on illness was deeply shaped by the tragic loss of her sister Patricie, who chose assisted dying in Switzerland after pursuing alternative treatments for breast cancer that ultimately proved unsuccessful. That painful experience reinforced Poullain’s firm trust in conventional medical care and her conviction never to ignore warning signs from her own body.
With her trademark elegance and humor intact, Poullain has sent a characteristically defiant message to her illness as she resumes her normal routine and artistic projects: „That bitch won’t win!“”
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