Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus took to social media Wednesday to reveal that he is undergoing chemotherapy saying, “It sucks and I’m scared,” while adding that he feels hopeful and expects to be back on tour when he’s cancer-free.
Earlier in the morning, Hoppus had alarmed fans with a photo he posted on Instagram, and then quickly deleted, of himself sitting in what appeared to be a hospital room with the caption, “Yes hello. One cancer treatment, please.” Many hours later, the 49-year-old rocker put a stop to the guessing game with a text statement that made explicit exactly what he’s been going through, and for how long.
“For the past three months I’ve been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. I have cancer,” Hoppus wrote. “It sucks and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and family and friends to get me through this. I still have months of treatment ahead of me but I’m trying to remain hopeful and postive.
“Can’t wait to be cancer free and see you all at a concert in the near future,” he added. “Love to you all.”
Hoppus had not been absent from social media in the three months since he says he started chemo. A week ago on Instagram, he paid tribute to the anniversary of a key Blink-182 album. “Hell yes,” he wrote last week. “20 years ago today Take Off Your Pants and Jacket came out. After the overwhelming and unexpected success of Enema of the State we wanted to write a darker, harder album that pushed the boundaries of what blink-182 could do. I love this record. Thank you to everyone who listened to it then and continues to put it on two decades later.”
Blink-182’s last release, the single “Quarantine,” came out during the pandemic in 2020. Drummer Travis Barker said at the beginning of 2021 that the trio would be releasing an album this year. Fans had been curious about the band not jumping on the post-pandemic tour announcement bandwagon and wondered if it was Barker’s many production side projects standing in the way, before learning of Hoppus’ health concerns on Wednesday.