Hunter Biden Says Father's Cancer Has Spread and Is Causing Him Pain

Hunter Biden offered a candid and visibly emotional account of his father's deteriorating health in a wide-ranging BBC interview broadcast Friday, revealing that the former president's prostate cancer has advanced significantly and is now causing him considerable pain.

Cancer Has Spread to the Bones

Speaking to the BBC, Hunter Biden confirmed that Joe Biden's prostate cancer — first disclosed publicly in May of last year, roughly four months after he departed the White House — has since metastasized. "The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further," Hunter said, according to The Guardian World. "It's very painful and it's very debilitating in many respects."

The 83-year-old former president became the oldest person ever to hold the nation's highest office, and concerns about his physical and cognitive health shadowed a substantial portion of his four-year term. Those concerns intensified after a widely scrutinized debate performance against Donald Trump that ultimately led Biden to abandon his 2024 re-election campaign.

For more on Hunter Biden's recent public commentary, see Hunter Biden Targets Ted Cruz in Podcast Remarks on 'MAGA Laptops'.

'I Wish He Would Complain More'

Despite the severity of his condition, Hunter said his father has largely refrained from expressing the full weight of what he is enduring. "It's really sad to watch," Hunter told the BBC. "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."

Hunter noted that the former president nonetheless continues to engage on matters of public concern. "He's still doing his thing," he said, adding that his father retains a deep belief in the country he served.

Biden is also set to publish a memoir, Promise Me, America, following the midterm elections — a project that has already attracted scrutiny. For context on related legal proceedings, see Biden Loses Court Bid to Block Release of Memoir Tapes.

Hunter Addresses the Pardon

Beyond his father's health, Hunter Biden also confronted directly one of the most contentious decisions of the elder Biden's final days in office: the preemptive pardon granted to Hunter himself. He acknowledged the move was politically damaging and easy to criticize, while simultaneously expressing personal gratitude.

"It is something that is easily criticized and for good reason," Hunter said, noting the pardon had cost his father reputationally and was not in the best interest of the American public. He argued, however, that without it, the incoming Trump administration would have pursued retribution against him.

"All I know is that I'm grateful he did it for me," Hunter said, posing what he framed as a question of familial loyalty to his critics.

Legacy and Transparency Questions Linger

The Biden administration continues to face criticism over what many observers describe as a pattern of insufficient transparency regarding the former president's health. The decision to conceal the full scope of his condition while he remained in office — and the abrupt withdrawal from the 2024 race — have fueled ongoing debate about accountability and candor in high office.

For broader coverage of the former president's continued political commentary, see Biden Critiques Trump's Vanity Projects in Washington.

Hunter Biden's remarks represent one of the most detailed public accounts yet of the former president's current condition, offering a sobering portrait of a consequential political figure navigating a serious illness while remaining, at least in spirit, engaged with the nation he once led.