Gabourey Sidibe’s husband, Brandon Frankel, has been diagnosed with stage I cancer.
“Things I never thought I’d have to post: I was diagnosed with Stage I Papillary Thyroid cancer,” Frankel, 41, wrote via Instagram on Friday, February 20, alongside hospital selfies. “I found it very early because I pushed for an ultrasound my doctor didn’t think I needed.”
He continued, “I refused to ‘wait and see.’ I refused to come back in 6–9 months. I made the calls. I leveraged connections. I chased cancellations. I made a LOT of noise. It worked.”
Frankel further revealed that he subsequently underwent surgery, which “went well.”
“I’m OK for now,” he explained on Friday. “Pathology showed a more aggressive cell type (tall cell), so there’s more monitoring ahead. But, we caught it early. I’m extremely proactive, so I can be around for my family.”
Sidibe, 42, and Frankel have been married since 2021. They welcomed twins Maya and Cooper in 2024.
“My wife carried our family through all of this, holding everything down while I handled appointments, surgery and recovery,” Frankel gushed of the Precious actress. “I don’t know how anyone does this without that kind of love and support. I’m grateful. I’m lucky.”
According to Frankel, early detection and the healthcare system likely saved his life.
“Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Early detection didn’t just possibly save my life. Access and advocating for myself did,” he added on Friday. “I had insurance. I had time. I had people who could help move things faster. Too many don’t.”
He continued, “Healthcare shouldn’t reward the loudest, the most connected, or the most financially secure. It shouldn’t require strategy, privilege and stamina just to feel safe. … Luck and means shouldn’t be a healthcare plan. The system is broken. Healthcare should be a basic human right. PLEASE advocate for yourself, and be proactive!”
Sidibe and Frankel started dating in 2019 after meeting on dating app Raya.
“HAPPY 7TH VALENTINES DAY TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE @gabbysidibe! Who would have thought our first and only dates off a dating app would end up with a love story like this?” Frankel wrote via Instagram earlier this month, celebrating the loved-up holiday. “I’m so glad we found each other, and now have the most perfect little family together. … You’re the best mom, friend, partner and person I’ve ever met. You deserve the world, and I’m going to do my absolute best to give it to you.”
As for Sidibe, she attributes the secret to their lasting marriage to the couple “being best friends.
“My husband and I laugh together. He thinks I’m the funniest person. I think he’s the funniest person, and we are just buddies,” Sibide exclusively told Us Weekly in March 2025. “Keep being best friends. Marry your best friend and just continue. Remember that your friendship is the most important part of your relationship.”
Sidibe also praised raising kids with her husband.
“It’s so great to watch them grow and become people,” she said at the time. “My daughter is saying ‘cat’ a lot. We have two cats. She learned their names and my son is just so — he’s so cuddly and cute. Yesterday, he stood up. They’re not walking yet. He stood by himself and just hung there for about 40 seconds, and that was really fun to watch.”
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