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Princess Kate: In 2024, ‘I didn’t have the ability to read or really focus on anything’

  • July 22, 2026

  • By Kaiser
  • Kate Middleton, Royals

The Princess of Wales has been MIA since the Wimbledon men’s final, and I doubt we’ll see her in public until she and Prince William drop off Prince George at Eton. Maybe we’ll see her in a car in Scotland, but we’re probably pushing it. My point is that there’s a real dearth of royal gossip about William and Kate specifically right now, which probably explains why People Magazine decided to give us some new quotes from an appearance Kate made in June. On June 4th, Kate visited The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, and she met with cancer patients and the oncology team. It turns out that Kate also revealed that she had difficulty reading while she was receiving treatment in 2024.

Kate Middleton turned to her creative side to help cope with cancer treatment. During a visit to the Christie cancer care hospital last month, the Princess of Wales, 44, spoke with some of the patients about her own experience with chemotherapy, revealing how the treatment left her struggling to focus.

“I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have the ability to read or really focus on anything,” she recalled, as seen in a video shared on social media.

“[Coloring] was my way of exploring interesting things and being able to do something that did not require an end product, or an end finished piece,” she added. “[It was] just a way of playing and losing yourself.”

Cognitive dysfunction, trouble focusing or clouded thinking during chemotherapy treatments is common among many cancer patients. Commonly referred to as “chemo fog” or “chemo brain,” the Mayo Clinic says that “experts don’t fully know the causes of these concentration and memory changes” and that it’s likely caused by a combination of factors, such as chemicals from both treatment and the cancer itself, stress, pain, sleep issues and more.

Prince William also revealed in 2016 that his wife was a fan of adult coloring books when he presented illustrator Johanna Basford with the OBE for her services to art and entrepreneurship.

“Prince William actually said that his wife likes to color in Secret Garden, which was really sweet,” Basford told reporters. The following year, a Kate-themed coloring book was even available to purchase at Kensington Palace.

[From People]

This is just a reminder that I don’t have a particularly good excuse for why I don’t read all of the books I buy for myself. I read the book blurb and think “oh, that will be a good weekend read” and then I just…never read it. I’ve still got Yesteryear sitting beside my bed, completely unopened. I started the latest John Grisham book and I lost interest in it in, like, 50 pages? My excuse could possibly be perimenopausal brain fog. And I honestly think that might be a factor for Kate as well, though she would be loath to speak about her blessed hormones. In general, though, it feels like neither Kate nor William are big on reading. They don’t read for fun, they don’t have book clubs, they are not intellectually curious, they don’t read briefing memos or anything for work. It’s been that way for years now, even before Kate’s 2024 treatments.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

The Princess of Wales during a visit to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Manchester, United Kingdom When: 04 Jun 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Catherine, Princess of Wales, visits The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, to highlight the healing power of holistic care, alongside clinical care, for people living with and beyond cancer, Manchester, UK, 04 June 2026.,Image: 1107722795, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: SENDTOTMWIRE, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Andy Stenning/Avalon
04/06/2026. Manchester, UK. The Princess of Wales during a visit to The Christie, NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester. The Princess began her visit to The Christie’s Withington site by visiting the Oak Road Treatment Centre, and met with staff, and patients currently undergoing chemotherapy. Her Royal Highness also met patients receiving complementary therapy and heard how it has assisted their physical and emotional wellbeing. The Princess then visited the art room and met resident artist Patricia Mountford. The Princess also met with gardener Phil Walker to discover how the landscape of the wellbeing garden gives patients and staff an opportunity to pause and reflect. Finally, Her Royal Highness visited The Christie’s Teenage and Young Adult unit, funded by The Christie Charity, and met staff, young patients and their families, and learned about the therapeutic, social and recreational activities designed to support young people as they navigate an especially challenging time.,Image: 1107733823, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever., Model Release: no , Credit line: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace/Avalon

Catherine, Princess of Wales, visits The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, to highlight the healing power of holistic care, alongside clinical care, for people living with and beyond cancer, Manchester, UK, 04 June 2026.,Image: 1107736542, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: SENDTOTMWIRE, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no , Credit line: Andy Stenning/Avalon
The Princess of Wales during a visit to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Manchester, United Kingdom When: 04 Jun 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
The Princess of Wales during a visit to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Manchester, United Kingdom When: 04 Jun 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**

The Princess of Wales during a visit to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Manchester, United Kingdom When: 04 Jun 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
The Princess of Wales during a visit to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Manchester, United Kingdom When: 04 Jun 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**

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  • By Kaiser

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81 Responses to “Princess Kate: In 2024, ‘I didn’t have the ability to read or really focus on anything’”

  1. Becks1 says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:05 am

    As the article notes, we’ve heard the coloring thing before, and we’ve NEVER heard that Kate is a reader, so it seems like they’re taking her normal activities (coloring instead of reading) and making it into something more than it is.

    If we heard that Charles couldn’t read or focus during his treatments that would be more of a statement to me.

    As for reading in itself – I go through phases. I read 85 books last year and this year I’m only at 30. I think part of it is perimenopause brain fog, I think part of it is feeling like I’m out of mental energy after working and parenting all day, and I sometimes wonder if I have ADHD and that affects my reading.

    Reply
    • Hypocrisy says:
      July 22, 2026 at 8:17 am

      I don’t know anyone who doesn’t read books so the idea of being a non reader is very bizarre to me.. I read close to a hundred books a year, I choose books over streaming services and cable. The past several years I’ve been buying banned books so I have hard copies in case they pull them from stores like they have from libraries..

      Reply
      • Becks1 says:
        July 22, 2026 at 9:34 am

        I dont get it either – I’ve always been a huge reader, I just thought that was normal, that everyone read – my mom is a huge reader and reads constantly. My dad reads but is a very slow reader (he’s an electrical engineer, he has a very detailed oriented mind, very analytical and deliberate in his thinking), BUT he remembers every word of what he’s read. It will take him a week to read one article but then he remembers it word for word 10 years later.

        But more and more I feel like an outlier. I’ve been trying to get a book club together out of my friends and so many just don’t read. Or they read maybe two books a year, which is fine, but not great for a book club. Maybe social media and smart phones killed a lot of reading?

        But then booktok…..

      • Fig says:
        July 22, 2026 at 5:14 pm

        It’s easy to fall into the habit of not reading, I used to love to read but went through most of my 20s without reading often. One of the reasons I read more now is because I read at work, otherwise you have to be very intentional about reading. I think most people would like to read but think they don’t have time. It’s one of those things that you have to make time for

    • Lady Esther says:
      July 22, 2026 at 8:26 am

      The perimenopause brain fog is real, and for someone who was a huge reader her entire life that is the one major thing that hasn’t come back after menopause and I’m sad about it. I just can’t concentrate on a book anymore. I used to have 300+ books on my Amazon wishlist! And the one gift you could always give me was a book. Sigh….I hope my ability to read books comes back eventually.

      And I agree, not only is Kate probably heading towards perimenopause (mine started at 44) but since she doesn’t appear to consume nutrients that probably doesn’t help her thinking or concentration abilities either. Didn’t Camilla famously say of Kate “Has she ever picked up a book?” Etc. Despite KP trying to convince us she spends her free time reading scientific papers lol…. reading isn’t Kate’s thing.

      Reply
      • irisrose says:
        July 22, 2026 at 11:03 am

        Anything that isn’t 100% kate-centric isn’t Kate’s thing.

      • TheFarmer'sWife says:
        July 22, 2026 at 1:53 pm

        Brain fog, hot flashes, insomnia…it’s a tough slog. For me, it lasted almost 7 years. Wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Kate looks terrible. I wish she took better care of herself. Bone health is so important for women. More important than being a size two.

      • BeanieBean says:
        July 22, 2026 at 2:37 pm

        Hmm, well, I don’t recall that perimenopause or menopause particularly affected my concentration. I know I was lucky, my hot flashes hit in the evenings after work, after my after-work walk, shower, dinner, & then got me while relaxing in front of the TV with a good book for a couple of hours. Over & done with by bedtime. But I digress. If reading has become difficult for you for any reason, it’ll come back. I’m sure of it. Just start again, ten minutes here, ten minutes there, then before you know it you’ll be back at it.

      • StillDouchesOfCambridge says:
        July 22, 2026 at 8:36 pm

        Kate is the female version of her lazy husband: she just doesnt read/isnt the reading type. She didnt really read the report they apparently gave her because she absolutely wanted to work while she was sick – ya right.

        Anyway, perimenause brain fog is real for me. I can’t read anymore- I sometimes have to read the same line 2 or 3 times before really realizing what I just read. So, I’ve been readin things to study subjects that I love instead of having to go through every page. Botanical/horticulture mainly.

      • Lorelei says:
        July 23, 2026 at 4:41 am

        @LadyEsther and @StillDouches, I had the same issue, but found I was able to listen to audiobooks, and now I have more than 1,000 in my library! I can’t focus on a hard copy anymore, which makes me sad, but at least I’m still reading in some form. It’s worth trying!

  2. Kynesgrove says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:10 am

    So saying she had chemo brain is ok, but don’t you dare mention baby brain.

    Reply
    • sunniside up says:
      July 22, 2026 at 8:45 am

      . Interesting, is because Meghan is the wrong colour?

      Reply
    • Robin Webb says:
      July 22, 2026 at 11:02 am

      Kynesgrove – came here to say the same thing.
      Sunnyside Up – definitely

      Reply
    • KristaE] says:
      July 22, 2026 at 7:42 pm

      EXACTLY

      Reply
  3. Interested Gawker says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:11 am

    Because she had a head injury…?

    KP should wind down her ‘’cancer” anecdotes in print and work to move away from this topic. Trying to insist I really did too have cancer at this point is not helpful. There’s doth protest too much vibe about ‘Kate’s cancer journey’.

    It’s been said that COVID infections can produce that sort of brain fog as well.

    Reply
    • A different hecate says:
      July 22, 2026 at 10:12 am

      I had the exact same thought. Chemo brain or lingering effects of whatever injury left her with that scar, and the rumoured coma according to that Spanish publication?

      Reply
      • Where'sMyTiara says:
        July 22, 2026 at 1:11 pm

        That Spanish publication (and the journalist, Concha Calleja) that was never sued by the BRF because discovery would have been lit…

      • Lorelei says:
        July 23, 2026 at 4:43 am

        @WheresMyTiara, exactly! We know W&K are litigious in general, so…

  4. Jais says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:16 am

    There was a Kate themed coloring book for sale at KP? LOL

    Reply
    • LongThymeLurker says:
      July 22, 2026 at 10:55 am

      Pages and pages of wiglets to colour!!

      Reply
      • Interested Gawker says:
        July 22, 2026 at 5:43 pm

        😂😂😂

    • BeanieBean says:
      July 22, 2026 at 2:38 pm

      And I thought making money off your royal adjacency was gauche!

      Reply
      • Lorelei says:
        July 23, 2026 at 4:54 am

        @Beanie, apparently not if you’re an “English Rose”

  5. Josephine says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:16 am

    Instead of talking about this non-news, they should be focused on how the royals disappear for weeks at a time after doing literally nothing for weeks at a time. The very idea of a royal family is a gigantic scam.

    Reply
  6. Amy Bee says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:22 am

    She had no problem talking about her chemo brain with strangers but it was off limits for Meghan to talk about her having baby brain.

    Reply
  7. Graphinya Heather says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:28 am

    Chemo brain is awful. And I did use coloring as way to focus. But I had actual cancer. I still color, it’s relaxing lol.

    I am so frustrated with this continuing narrative honestly.

    Reply
    • M says:
      July 22, 2026 at 8:45 am

      Same. These meager appearances at hospitals and refusal to do any major project with cancer charities makes it obvious the lie can only be maintained so far. As for coloring, adult coloring books stress me out lol. I like the ones for little kids. I have one full of animals I am still working through even though I finished chemo in December. I also started doing jigsaws again.

      Reply
      • Graphinya Heather says:
        July 22, 2026 at 8:50 am

        I enjoy the sweary ones lol. When I’m stuck on a long webinar where my active participation isn’t expected and I’m not on camera, I find coloring helps me focus on the presentation, oddly, but I think I have an undiagnosed ADD brain lol

    • RMS says:
      July 22, 2026 at 9:10 am

      When prepping for my 2 stem cell transplants, the doctors told me to bring things to the hospital to help me while away the time – guitar, books, download movies. They could not have been more wrong. Your bone marrow is destroyed, your stem cells are re-inserted 24 hours later and then you spend 7 days slowly dying while the stem cells wander back to your bones, create more marrow, which then starts to build more blood products – in the meanwhile your white and red blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets drop to near zero. I am an AVID reader and when I tell you I could barely focus on watching planes land at Teterboro airport and walking circles around the nurse’s station during those horrible weeks, I mean all blood, all activity was shunted from my brain to other parts. Cancer treatment is no joke. After car-t last fall, I got back into needlepointing, but it had to be big blocks of color and no detailed work because, once again, my body was dealing with nothing but cancer-killing t-cells. I knew I was on the mend when I started burning through the backlog on my kindle again, but the months of reading I’ve lost to staying alive is heartbreaking.

      Reply
      • Graphinya Heather says:
        July 22, 2026 at 9:24 am

        IMO as an oncology nurse and a cancer patient, stem cell transplant preparation is the worst! You are a warrior, never forget that. I’m glad you saw the other side of it.

      • BeanieBean says:
        July 22, 2026 at 2:41 pm

        Oh, my word! I’ve never seen such a specific description of what the process is! Thank you so much for sharing, I truly mean it even if it’s such a trite statement. And best wishes to both of you.

      • 2131Jan says:
        July 22, 2026 at 3:29 pm

        I’ve been through that, too, RMS, and I totally agree with everything you said. My sister even loaded up my laptop with my favorite movies, and I had a ton of books on my Kindle app, and I had zero concentration or desire to use either for the first 4-5 wks after the SCT. Like you said, even getting up and walking to the nurses’ station was hard. Nothing could catch or hold my attention, it’s just like my brain shut down, and was on auto-pilot.

    • Carmen says:
      July 22, 2026 at 12:57 pm

      They have literally divided her life into BC and AC

      Reply
  8. Jane says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:36 am

    I misread the headline and thought that in 2024 she admitted she had never been able to read well or focus. and when I misread it I thought “no shit”

    Reply
    • SarahCS says:
      July 22, 2026 at 8:42 am

      She could have said this any year of her life and I’d accept it.

      Reply
    • Lorelei says:
      July 22, 2026 at 12:14 pm

      MTE! I was like, “…and? How is 2024 different from any other year?”

      Reply
    • BeanieBean says:
      July 22, 2026 at 2:42 pm

      I thought the same thing! I thought we were now getting some kind of revelation–what it’s like to go through school & even university without really being able to read!

      Reply
  9. M says:
    July 22, 2026 at 8:41 am

    I don’t think Buttons not reading is anything new. She has no real interests other than copying her SIL and MIL and picking out bad wigs. I go through phases with reading. I actually started reading again during chemo last year. All those hours of sitting around meant I needed something to do, and watching shows just wasn’t doing it for me (though I did rewatch Stargate SG1, my fave, but I had started that in May before I was diagnosed). I was lucky though because I didn’t have any horrible side effects, just little stuff.

    Reply
  10. apostrophe says:
    July 22, 2026 at 9:19 am

    PSA: Explore your public library. You’re already paying for it, it provides jobs to liberal arts majors, and there’s no guilt about not finishing a title. Bonus: they store all the books for you! Bonus bonus: you can get audiobooks, periodicals, online learning, all for free!

    Reply
    • olliesmom says:
      July 22, 2026 at 9:55 am

      Many of the employees in public libraries have degrees in library science or education. The public libraries are a great resource! In addition to all of those educational and literary free resources, they also offer free classes and events for adults and children. Our local libraries in my area offer discount passes to the local zoo and museums, cooking classes, tax help, crafting classes, computer classes, bingo, floral arranging and even an occasional bus day trip for adults to a place of interest. My city’s library has free snacks for the kids.

      Reply
    • A different hecate says:
      July 22, 2026 at 10:15 am

      Excellent points, but as a librarian, I do want to mention that being a full librarian in the US requires a Master’s degree in Library Science/ Library and Information Science (MLS/MSLIS) 🙂

      Reply
    • irisrose says:
      July 22, 2026 at 10:39 am

      I’ve given myself permission to stop reading a book I don’t enjoy. Take it back to the library, try something else. No shame in that.

      I’ve added more library audiobooks into my rotation. I can listen while walking, doing chores. Just finished Sam Neill’s autobiography, performed by him. Much more fun to listen to him tell his own story. (No Audible, no Kindle. defund those bastards.)

      If you’re using eBooks from the library, try not to return it unread. It costs your library 3-5 times more to license that eBook or eAudio than it costs you.

      The library isn’t FREE. You pay for it with your taxes. The police, fire, parks departments don’t run around telling everyone their services are free. That’s one reason their budgets don’t get gutted like library budgets do.

      Reply
      • Becks1 says:
        July 22, 2026 at 12:04 pm

        Yes, my motto has become “life’s too short to read bad books.” If I’m not enjoying a book for whatever reason, I just stop and pick up a new one.

        and agree with audiobooks – I think bc of the aforementioned brain fog, I’m enjoying audiobooks more as I age. I’m currently listening to one called “She-Wolves” about female queens (or would be queens, such as Matilda) of England prior to Elizabeth I. And its very interesting.

        I get a lot of audiobooks from the library and sometimes you have to wait a while (I’m currently on my third month of waiting for the Correspondent lol) but there are a lot available right away, so I just stock up and make my way through those.

      • BeanieBean says:
        July 22, 2026 at 2:49 pm

        Lifelong library-patron since I was a kid! And finally, finally, a few years ago I returned a book I hadn’t finished. I just wasn’t interested & decided not to waste my time. How liberating that was! And I discovered audiobooks about 20 years ago from my boss & was thrilled to find how it tripled my reading! I’d have my book-book at home (or with me for when I have to wait for something, like at doctors’ offices or for a haircut or something), my audiobook for my drive to work, and a different audiobook for my post-work walk. My listening habits have changed, though, over those years. I now listen to podcasts while driving & walking, but I still have my book-books for everyday reading.

      • Lorelei says:
        July 23, 2026 at 4:46 am

        Same! For years I felt like once I started a book I needed to finish it, but not anymore.

        I recommend Christina Applegate’s memoir.

  11. Jason says:
    July 22, 2026 at 9:20 am

    I am sorry I don’t believe her at all.

    Reply
    • Chrissy says:
      July 22, 2026 at 10:11 am

      I find it hard to believe her too! I think what we hear about her is all not based in reality necessarily, but proscribed by her people to make her seem somewhat relatable and to seek sympathy. We have seen glimpses of the real Kate, especially in relation to her SIL, in her guarded interactions with other POC and her wafer-thin interest in her supposed causes. Her self-interests, lack of work product and frequent absences from the public view tell the real story! This woman is in her mid-40s and is treated like a child because she’s supposedly “fragile”, and has lost all credibility at this point.

      Reply
    • Lorelei says:
      July 23, 2026 at 4:47 am

      None of us do. They’ve been lying to us for almost two decades, no reason to start believing anything now.

      Reply
  12. QuiteContrary says:
    July 22, 2026 at 9:36 am

    She is far too busy cutting out photos of Meghan and gluing them into her lookbooks to read anything. Maybe she had a Duchess Meghan coloring book.

    Reply
  13. irisrose says:
    July 22, 2026 at 10:17 am

    According to one of her former teachers at Marlborough, she’s never had an interest in reading or learning. He said something about a feather head who never cracked a book and spent most of her time flashing her ass out the window.

    He said any former teacher who claimed otherwise was lying for posterity.

    Reply
    • Nic919 says:
      July 22, 2026 at 12:47 pm

      Also she was known to copy off her seat mates at St Andrews. Some of them would put fake information when they saw her do that.

      Kate has never been bright. She was cunning to chase William, but nothing has shown that Kate has any significant intellectual abilities from the start. Her engagement interview was a joke. She still is barely able to string words together and she has never been known to be a reader.

      If she was not able to focus it was likely more related to the scar on her forehead and possibly peri menopause. She is right in the age for it.

      But she is trying to co opt the experience of regular Britons who have had to face severe treatment and without all the privileges and perks she has had. Which she still refuses to admit. She is trying to pretend she is the same as the ones who go through the NHS and not private health care and it is definitely not the same.

      Reply
    • Me at home says:
      July 22, 2026 at 1:27 pm

      This. If she even once let drop something like, “I’m reading Madeline Miller’s Circe, it’s a wonderful book!” then she’d shed some of her airhead reputation. But it’s been 20 years in the public eye, so….

      Reply
  14. irisrose says:
    July 22, 2026 at 10:50 am

    Look at the thumbnail and second photo. Cover the half of her face where her hair is long. See how she’d look better if she stopped with the silly long extensions and wigs? I’m not saying she’d look good, but the mess of long wiglets and wigs is bad.

    CP Mary (now Queen) had shorter hair during her second pregnancy. It was her best look IMO.

    Queen Letizia looked amazing with her short chop a few years ago. Sometimes shorter is better.

    p.s. Huge amount of photoshop in these pics. Her skin has never looked like that in real life.

    Reply
    • Becks1 says:
      July 22, 2026 at 12:06 pm

      And its weird to me because she HAS had shorter hair throughout her marriage. This “hair to her waist” thing she’s trying to pull off now is not her usual style. Even at her engagement I think it was above her elbows.

      Reply
      • kelleybelle says:
        July 22, 2026 at 12:13 pm

        I think as long as Meghan wears her hair long and loose, Kate won’t change hers … even though she can’t pull it off at all like Meghan. Not at all. On Kate it just looks messy and reminds me of an unmade bed.

      • Nic919 says:
        July 22, 2026 at 12:49 pm

        She also never styled it with those silly curls that look trad wife.

        She doesn’t have friends or a stylist to tell her she is in need of a serious cut.

      • Me at home says:
        July 22, 2026 at 1:22 pm

        At least she seems to have put down the massive barrel curling iron? These days it’s in a looser wave.

  15. YankeeDoodles says:
    July 22, 2026 at 10:57 am

    I think you start to read more — like, your brain wakes up — when you don’t watch television. I have a lifetime habit of bingeing three or four shows in a given year for as many weeks, at intervals, but then the tv will sit on its shelf blank, black, gathering dust, for months until another binge hits. The Bear was my last binge, in March. That is the best show I’ve seen in years. But your brain wakes up and it *craves* stimulation when it’s not being dosed daily with a tide of silly distractions. I read every day for a few hours because it soothes me, and stimulates me. It’s a blend. The double helix of cognitive function. Or something. But if you’re not a reader, great. Just be interested in *something* ….anything. I don’t get the vibe that Kate is interested in *anything* at all. But I found one quotation intriguing: “Cognitive dysfunction, trouble focusing or clouded thinking during chemotherapy treatments is common among many cancer patients.” ….i would also imagine it’s common among stroke victims, or victims of head injuries.

    Reply
    • Becks1 says:
      July 22, 2026 at 12:08 pm

      I think there may be something to this. I also think just once you get in the habit of reading, its easy to just keep going. If I’ve been in a reading slump and haven’t picked up a book in a month, I’ll start with something super easy (think “chick lit” or Julie Garwood’s old historical romances, lol) and then I get back into it.

      We are currently binging Widow’s Bay. I’m ticked I didnt read any posts on here about it really bc I didn’t know it was horror. I thought it was about rich people behaving badly like White Lotus or something. WHOOPS.

      Reply
  16. samipup says:
    July 22, 2026 at 11:49 am

    I think she was looking up side effects of chemo to sound relatable and genuine to real cancer patients.

    Reply
    • Interested Gawker says:
      July 22, 2026 at 12:37 pm

      I think you are correct, this is exactly my view of these press stories. She is hiding behind the actual cancer patients hoping the public believe her situation was legitimate and twining herself ‘with cancer’ so that narrative sticks.

      WHY should that narrative stick if it’s ’finished already’? WHY isn’t the narrative ‘stepping into her role’ because that health crisis is past?

      Reply
  17. Heather says:
    July 22, 2026 at 12:35 pm

    I relate to that Perimenopause brain fog! Wish more people talked about it, Kate could very much be in that phase too. Imagine if she made that a campaign instead of early years! She would never…

    Reply
    • Lorelei says:
      July 23, 2026 at 4:50 am

      She would NEVER. Even though it would be relatable to so many women. She’s not even comfortable with her SIL mentioning “baby brain” in a lighthearted manner. Kate has such a stick up her ass.

      Reply
  18. Livvy says:
    July 22, 2026 at 12:56 pm

    Losing the ability to concentrate calmly and deeply is a real issue for a lot of us going through perimenopause and menopause. I still buy piles of books (even tried coffee table books and classic children’s lit) and can barely skim. It’s not really about level of complexity, it’s not being able to enter the neurological zone for focus. I also think we’re more wired for online content unfortunately and that also takes away from deeper reading ability. Add chemo and loss of hormones and that’s a lethal combo.

    Reply
  19. Kirsty says:
    July 22, 2026 at 12:58 pm

    I am a massive reader and chemo really impacted my concentration. I went down to YA books and when they got too hard to follow, magazines and in the end it was a weekly Take a Break (UK people know how trash this is!). Three years later my memory is still not what it was and it’s so frustrating. Every now and then she says things about cancer treatment which feels authentic so she must have someone prepping her well (I’m still not convinced she had it)

    Reply
  20. HuffnPuff says:
    July 22, 2026 at 1:07 pm

    I think this is the beginning of the excuse as to why she hasn’t done anything for early years and why she won’t do anything in the future. Maybe some videos but no more speeches or meetings. She’s basically saying she can start stuff but not finish things. Imagine getting to live the high life on other people’s money with the expectation that you give back, but you tell the people giving you the money that you’re too overwhelmed by being expected to do anything for them. If this was a job, she’d be fired.

    Reply
  21. tamsin says:
    July 22, 2026 at 1:22 pm

    Every few months some new info about Kate’s cancer drips. For sure I think it’s an effort to “authenticate” her battle with cancer. It doesn’t mean she didn’t have pre-cancer cells, but other health struggles might have the same effect? I believe she did go through some major health scare, although it may not have been cancer. Perhaps they just embellished the pre-cancerous to make it actually having cancer to make her struggle braver. I think all life-threatening health struggles require courage, stamina, and fortitude, so I don’t know why her PR people think it’s a good idea to make her seem a fraud to some people.

    Reply
  22. Paisley25 says:
    July 22, 2026 at 1:27 pm

    For perimenopausal ladies with brain fog, I highly recommend HRT! My brain fog began two years ago with no other physical symptoms. I stopped reading around that time because I could not concentrate at all. I only started HRT this year because of unbearable night sweats. The night sweats have disappeared as expected, but the best part is my brain is finally coming back online. I had no idea how “off” I was until I started mentally waking up! And I’m reading again.

    Reply
  23. L4Frimaire says:
    July 22, 2026 at 1:30 pm

    That blue dress is incredibly bad. It’s all shoulders and hospital scrubs blue. It’s makes it look like a scarecrow on a frame. I had cancer and went through radiation and that, combined with 3 bouts of Covid and menopause has made my concentration very scattered. I start but don’t finish books, and find audiobooks and podcasts more palatable. Slowly working my way through an Octavia Butler book but most of my leisurely reading is online.

    Reply
  24. Daisychain says:
    July 22, 2026 at 1:45 pm

    Hi, I really appreciated reading all these comments. I am now (later than usual) in actual menopause at age 59. Couldn’t have said that a year ago. I don’t quite have fog, but a reduction in concentration, which you could also say is the aging process(?) For at least 15 years, I’ve listened to books rather than reading them, it was what I could do to get through chores or something mindless at the office. Audible is generally great because once you buy a book you can listen to it as many times as you want. Also public libraries. Best wishes to everyone above! Take care of yourselves womens.

    Reply
  25. therese says:
    July 22, 2026 at 1:51 pm

    Has this been covered before, that Kate received chemo? This is the very first time I have ever heard tell of her receiving chemo. She has never before, from what I know, acknowledged chemo or any real treatment for her “disease”. I always believed that she used that to cover for something else, because no one would go there. If she had chemo, I will give her total respect and sympathy, because I had radiation and did not have to have chemo, which I don’t think I could handle. If this is real, I am really sorry for her. I just never thought it was.

    Reply
    • BeanieBean says:
      July 22, 2026 at 3:03 pm

      She visited the Royal Marsden cancer center for something (self-aggrandizement, I think) and mentioned having a port that she became ‘very fond of’. 🤨 And within a year of supposedly starting chemo she said she was finished & cancer-free, or some such timeline. So yes, she’s mentioned this before.

      Reply
      • Graphinya Heather says:
        July 22, 2026 at 8:54 pm

        I wasn’t fond of my port but I am so proud of the scar it left behind after removal.

    • Kasztanka says:
      July 22, 2026 at 6:58 pm

      Teresa, don’t let those manipulators and con artists fool you. Yes, Kate talked about chemotherapy, seeking sympathy and an excuse to do nothing. There’s no need for chemo if you don’t have cancer—or even “precancerous cells”—but rather a husband trying to cover up his actions and Kate’s head injury; he completely dug his own grave and humiliated himself by cooking up fake photos and videos in a desperate attempt to answer the question, “Where is Kate?”
      Then, to save himself, he invented cancer.
      Once she recovered, Kate used the cancer narrative for her own ends, but she was too lazy to actually learn the details of the treatment. That’s why, during a public-relations visit to an oncology ward, she spouted nonsense—like telling women fresh from chemo to go to the beach and sit in the sun because it “did her good.” In reality, sun exposure is strictly forbidden after chemotherapy. And the idea that she “liked” her chemo port…!!! After chemo, the infusion veins and the surrounding area are burned and damaged; there is absolutely nothing to like about it.
      I’m waiting for someone to finally expose these disgusting lies, because it’s truly sickening…

      Reply
  26. BeanieBean says:
    July 22, 2026 at 2:28 pm

    So when they told us Kate was still working from her bed, with early childhood journal articles all around her on the bed, they were lying? Huh, whaddaya know?

    Reply
    • Nic919 says:
      July 22, 2026 at 2:56 pm

      Haha yes I forgot how they claimed she was working from bed. The endless lies.

      It is always vague enough so that people can attach what they want to her words so that they can mean everything and yet mean nothing.

      Reply
    • HuffnPuff says:
      July 22, 2026 at 3:10 pm

      Good catch!

      Reply
      • Lorelei says:
        July 23, 2026 at 4:53 am

        Outstanding catch!!

    • Interested Gawker says:
      July 22, 2026 at 5:53 pm

      Exactly. Foisting lies and fraud incessantly.

      Reply
  27. Diana says:
    July 22, 2026 at 10:57 pm

    Since you guys moved to the new server last weekend, many of the articles don’t show the comments. Please fix this! I miss all of the discussion.

    Reply
  28. Wildrose says:
    July 22, 2026 at 11:23 pm

    Greetings

    For the 4th time I have left comments and kept a photographic record of them, not one of them is offensive or name calling and yet none are being left up.

    I have contacted your email to query this and have a copy. No response has been forthcoming.

    What is your problem?

    Kindly email me and let me know what I have done to be blacklisted?

    Many thanks.

    Reply

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