Whatever Happened To Hayley Mills?

In 2008, on her 62nd birthday, Hayley Mills made a shocking discovery: She had cancer in both breasts. She initially kept her diagnosis quiet, but opened up about the experience at length in an interview with Good Housekeeping (via The Telegraph) in February 2018. "It was an enormous shock," the actress recalled. "Suddenly, I looked out at the world as if I'd never seen it before. Everything felt clearer and sharper. And when you hear that diagnosis, you realize, 'Now I'm going to find out what I'm actually made of.'"

Mills underwent surgery and chemotherapy, but she was so knocked out by the side effects of the latter that she chose to supplement her infusions with organic and alternative medicines and regimens, which included a drastically new system of diet and exercise. "I was more frightened of the chemo than of the cancer," she admitted to The Daily Mirror. 

Though Mills' deviation from strictly medically-recommended courses of treatment was controversial, it was effective: After battling the disease for several years, she was finally told she was officially in remission — a victory she credits to the combination of different approaches she used, as well as to the love and support of her family. As of this writing, Mills, who continues to get regular scans and check-ups — remains cancer-free.