RHOA Star Dwight Eubanks Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
Dwight Eubanks, known for his appearances on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” has revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year. In an exclusive interview with People, the 64-year-old celebrity hairstylist opened up about his diagnosis, the emotional toll, and his mission to help others.
Speaking exclusively with People, Eubanks shared that his grandfather died from prostate cancer decades ago but had kept the illness hidden from the family. Despite that family history, Eubanks believed he was not at risk. “I was confident that I was Superman. I was cleared. I was going to be okay and I just never thought about it.”
Eubanks’ Shock Diagnosis
The diagnosis came unexpectedly after Eubanks attended a health fair at his church in January and decided to get bloodwork done. A week later, his doctor called with urgent news: tests showed he had prostate cancer. Although he felt healthy and had no concerning symptoms, a follow-up prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test in April confirmed the diagnosis.
“I was shocked. I was angry,” Eubanks recalled. “I was just emotionally a wreck.” He added, “When you hear the word cancer, you freak out. I’m human. Society has told us that cancer was just devastating and, you know, you just have days to live. So of course I freaked out and I think I’m still freaked out.”
A Call for Awareness and Early Testing
Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer among American men, with about 1 in 8 men receiving the diagnosis in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. For Black and African American men, the risks are even higher, with 1 in 6 men diagnosed and twice the mortality rate compared to White men.
Per Today, Eubanks has been living with HIV since the 1980s, and has long been diligent about his health, attending regular six-month checkups. However, after the cancer diagnosis, doctors realized that high PSA levels in 2022 had gone unaddressed. “I was like, are you kidding me? This was back in 2022 and nobody said anything to me. He just said, ‘You’re undetectable, so you are fine.’ Never said anything about my prostate. I guess they just weren’t looking at that,” Eubanks explained.
Despite the frustration, Eubanks maintains a positive outlook. “I just have to laugh instead of crying about this whole journey,” he told People.
Now, to mark Men’s Health Month, Eubanks has partnered with ZERO Prostate Cancer as a brand ambassador. He will speak at the group’s Virtual Education and Support Summit from June 3 to June 5, using his platform to encourage men, particularly Black men, to get screened and ask their doctors questions. “I could not be silent with this because it could help people if they just get tested and don’t wait too long,” he said. “And most important: ask questions, look at your records, investigate.”
In his interview with People, Eubanks emphasized, “I can’t say what should have, could have, or would have been, but I just have to embrace where I am now and be grateful and try to help somebody else along the way.”
Currently, the Bravo star is working closely with a team of four doctors to determine the best treatment plan. Having seen a close friend endure a painful cancer experience, Eubanks is cautious about next steps. “So we are exploring possibilities to see what route to go and we have not come up with that yet,” he shared. “I have a great team, about four different doctors: two urologists, another specialist and my family physician. So I’m comfortable and I’m forever grateful to have such a team and support. And we are going to figure it out.”
Despite the challenges, Eubanks remains optimistic. “But I feel good. I’m 64, that’s young to me… We’re all going to go through something. But when we reach those bridges, you have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and carry on. Because life really is a beautiful thing.”
Cory Wharton Says Daughter Maya’s Open-Heart Procedure Has Inspired Him to Give Back to Families in Need
Cory Wharton says his three-year-old daughter Maya’s latest open-heart surgery has inspired him to give back to other children and families, noting that his charitable efforts are “a far cry from MTV.”
As The Ashley previously told you, Cory and ex-girlfriend Taylor Selfridge’s daughter Maya, who was born with a rare form of heart disease called tricuspid atresia, recently underwent her final open-heart surgery called the Fontan. Two weeks after the surgery, Taylor– who also shares daughter Mila with Cory– told fans that the procedure had improved Maya’s oxygenation levels, as well as her overall coloring.
(According to the Cleveland Clinic website, a Fontan procedure “improves circulation in people who have only one working heart ventricle. This problem happens because of one of several congenital heart diseases. The Fontan procedure lets oxygen-poor blood from the lower part of your body go straight to your pulmonary artery– and then lungs– for oxygen instead of going through your heart first.”)
Cory revealed to TMZ this week that, while Maya’s surgery was successful and she was ultimately discharged from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles after a two-week recovery, he realizes that some families aren’t as fortunate.
“I was just happy that we were able to leave the Children’s Hospital, because there’s a lot of families there that they’re not gonna leave, they’re waiting a year or two for a heart transplant,” he said. “ … It’s sad man, walking around there, but there were people in that building that found a way to smile and … just by talking to them over time, I was just like, these people are staying positive when they’re at their lowest and it was crazy for me to see and experience.”
Cory went on to say that the recent experience has inspired him to find ways to help those in need.
“I’m just so thankful to God that we made it out of the hospital, my daughter’s fine and now the biggest thing for me is, like, I’m trying to give back,” he said. “I wanna do whatever I can to try to help out [at] Children’s Hospital or [with] young ones that are in need.
“I wanna give back a little bit … it’s a far cry from MTV, but I wanna try to do something positive with what I got going now,” he added.
As you may remember, Cory and Taylor previously shared that they learned about Maya’s heart condition when Taylor was about 22 weeks pregnant, at which point they were told that Maya would need a series of procedures due to the condition. At just six days old, Maya had a stent put in place; later that year, Maya– then seven-months-old– underwent her first open-heart surgery, during which she suffered some complications.
Taylor shared this month that Maya should not need any more open-heart surgeries in her lifetime; and if she does, it would not be until adulthood.
