Kat Timpf Says Joking About Her Breast Cancer Felt Like ‘Standing Up to a Bully’: ‘It’s Freeing’ (Exclusive)
- - Kat Timpf Says Joking About Her Breast Cancer Felt Like ‘Standing Up to a Bully’: ‘It’s Freeing’ (Exclusive)
Vanessa EtienneJanuary 21, 2026 at 2:00 AM
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Making jokes is what got Kat Timpf through her battle with breast cancer.
The Fox News panelist and comedian recently spoke to PEOPLE about navigating her breast cancer diagnosis last year just 15 hours before giving birth to her first child.
For the most part, Timpf says she kept her spirits high throughout the ordeal. But she also recognizes that it was perfectly normal for her to break down every now and then.
“I don't force positivity on myself,” the 37-year-old explains. “I don't talk myself up. I let myself cry, and then I’m able to — not to brag — function very well.”
“Letting yourself have those low moments allows real gratitude to sprout on its own,” she says. “I'm human at the end of the day.”
Victoria Stevens
Kat Timpf
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In those moments, Timpf appreciated the support of her friends and family who allowed her to release those emotions without question. She says just having them in her corner was simply enough.
“Sometimes I'm like, ‘You know what? This sucks. I'm sad. I miss having nipples.’ And I cry and then I move about my day,” she says.
“There’s no magic words to make anyone feel better. We’ve all tried it, it doesn’t really work,” she quips. “I appreciated people who let me vent without trying to talk me out of how bad I was feeling ... Sometimes when something sucks, it just sucks.”
Andrew Max Levy
Kat Timpf stand-up comedy
Throughout her breast cancer journey, Timpf’s sense of humor quickly became a source of relief from the difficult recovery. She relied on her comedy to feel more in control over her battle.
“When I go on stage and make jokes about it, it's freeing,” says Timpf, whose 2023 book, You Can’t Joke About That, talks about using humor to help cope with life’s challenges. “I'm removing some of the power that this horrible trauma has over me…and I refuse to feel ashamed of talking about it.”
“When I’m joking about trauma on stage and getting people to laugh, to me it feels like standing up to a bully,” she adds.
Victoria Stevens
Kat Timpf PEOPLE Health cover
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Timpf admits she quickly realized that by being so transparent, she’s been able to establish a sense of community and help others navigate the disease.
“I’m grateful that I have this platform,” she tells PEOPLE. “I’ve felt very fulfilled with the other women I’ve spoken to—and I aim to do it on a larger scale. If I can make any women out there who have been through something like this feel better about their own situation, then that to me is a win.”
“Life can be tough and it's a lot easier when we have each other to lean on,” she adds.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
