Former U.S. President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body and is causing significant pain, his son Hunter Biden said in an emotional interview with the BBC.
Hunter Biden grew tearful as he discussed his 83-year-old father’s worsening condition. “The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” he said. “It’s very painful and it's very debilitating in many respects.”
“It’s really sad to watch,” Biden added. “The only thing that I'd say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more, because it’s not good.”
Despite his illness, Hunter said the former president remains engaged with public life and continues speaking about issues important to him. “He’s still doing his thing,” Hunter said. “He so believes in this country.”
Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in May 2025, less than four months after leaving the White House. He subsequently began treatment that included radiation and hormone therapy.
Hunter said the diagnosis had been difficult for the entire family, describing his father as its continuing center. He also revisited the June 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump, a performance that intensified concerns about Biden’s age and fitness for office and ultimately contributed to his withdrawal from the presidential race. “I was shocked. I knew something was wrong,” Hunter said.
He attributed his father’s poor performance in part to physical exhaustion caused by extensive travel while serving as president. Hunter also questioned whether the cancer diagnosed the following year might already have been affecting his father at the time.
Joe Biden eventually ended his reelection campaign and endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Hunter also addressed the sweeping presidential pardon his father granted him shortly before leaving office. He acknowledged that the decision was “unfair” to the American public, while defending his father’s personal choice. “What would you think about my dad if he didn't do it for me?” he asked.
Hunter Biden
(Photo: REUTERS/David Swanson)
Joe Biden pardoned his son in two federal cases less than two months before leaving the White House.
Hunter Biden had been convicted of federal gun charges after prosecutors said he purchased and possessed a firearm while using drugs and falsely stated on a federal form that he was not an unlawful drug user. He had also pleaded guilty to federal tax charges in California. The pardon was issued before sentencing in either case.
During the BBC interview, Hunter also spoke candidly about the depths of his addiction, saying that at one stage he was drinking nearly four liters of vodka a day and smoking crack cocaine approximately every 15 minutes. “It was hell on Earth,” he said.
Hunter ruled out following his father into politics, saying he instead wants to devote his time to helping others struggling with addiction. Joe Biden, meanwhile, is expected to publish a memoir titled “Promise Me, America” after the midterm elections.