James Pickens Jr. reveals prostate cancer diagnosis and says it was caught “really early,” a real-life turn that mirrors his Grey’s Anatomy character, Dr. Richard Webber. In the fall finale (Nov. 13, 2025), Richard told Dr. Miranda Bailey (played by Chandra Wilson ) that he had received a cancer diagnosis; two days later, on Nov. 15, 2025, Pickens shared his own news publicly.

Speaking in a recent interview with Black Health Matters, the 71-year-old said, “It’s not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but to be honest, prostate cancer has run through my family. My father had it. He had a lot of brothers; several of them had it. I would have been surprised if I hadn’t gotten it.” He added, “I’ve got a 90-year-old first cousin—who’s still alive, actually—he had it. His son has it. A

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