Jill Martin Says She’s ‘Thriving’ amid Cancer Journey and Divorce: 'Operating with Generosity and Kindness'

Mar. 15, 2025

Jill Martin attends the 2017 Night of Stars Gala at Cipriani Wall Street.Photo:Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Jill Martinis reflecting on a tumultuous time.

Speaking on the Wednesday, Oct. 16 episode of theMaking Space with Hoda Kotbpodcast, theTODAYcontributor, 48, said that she’s “thriving” despite her divorce and ongoing breast cancer journey.

Martin, who revealed herbreast cancer diagnosis in July 2023, told hostHoda Kotbof her journey, “Look what I’m doing. Operating with generosity and kindness and trying my best.”“I mean, people are like, ‘How are you?’ I’m like, ‘Not great. I had cancer and I got divorced in a year.’ How would you be doing? But I’m thriving under the circumstances,” she said.

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Kevin Mazur/Getty

Martin added that herdivorce from her husbandof two yearsErik Brooks, whichPEOPLE reported on Sept. 5, allowed her to “sharpen [her] tool.” The coupletied the knot on Sept. 10, 2022.

“I had two choices in the fork of the road … one was to crawl under the covers, and nobody would have blamed me. Or I could move on dot com,” she told Kotb, 60.

“We’re in the middle of it. I wanna be respectful,” Martin continued about the split. “I had, like, a beautiful love affair. But some stories, unfortunately, have a beginning, middle and end. And we both put the period on at this time.”

She explained further of the separation, “We want different things and are holding different things that are important to each of us. And they’re not right or wrong. They’re just different.”

Martin then listed off the multiple cancer treatments she’s had, adding, “If I could get through that. I mean honestly, nothing scares me. It would take a lot more than that.”

Martin and her ex-husband Eric Brooks pictured in October 2022.Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

On the podcast, Martin shared that she has had six surgeries since she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This came shortly after she tested positive for theBRCA gene, which indicates a significantly higher possibility of developing breast or ovarian cancer.She also told Kotb that she has undergone radiation treatment and a course of chemotherapy which led her to lose 70% of her hair.

Martin described the past year dealing with cancer as being “beyond earth-shattering.”

“There was a point where I called my oncologist and said, ‘What is the point? I’m suffering so much,’ ” Martin said. “It got to a point where I had really bad thoughts. So now that I’m back and I look like some version of myself … when I look in the mirror … she’s pretty. She’s just not me … And I now I love [my body] more than I liked it before.”

source: people.com