Hunter Biden Says Drug Battle Worsened Dad’s Health Issues

Hunter Biden is opening up about the painful toll his years-long battle with addiction took on his father, former President Joe Biden, as the Biden family now faces another difficult chapter.

In a candid new interview with the BBC, Hunter acknowledged that his struggles with drugs and alcohol caused enormous stress for his father — particularly after the devastating death of his older brother, Beau Biden.

Asked whether his addiction had contributed to his father’s worries and health struggles, Hunter did not dodge the question.

“Of course I did. That’s what addiction does… absolutely,” the 56-year-old said.

Rather than becoming defensive, Hunter said he believes confronting the damage caused by addiction means acknowledging how deeply it can hurt the people closest to you.

“You know, I think that most people would sit here and try to run from that question or be offended by it,” Hunter said. “But absolutely, not just in my dad, but in my mom and my aunts and uncles, to my children, to my relationships down the line.”

But Hunter said his father, despite everything the family endured, never abandoned him.

“But in particular to my dad, who never let go,” he said. “And even through that, even with the knowledge of that, he never, ever, ever let me go. He always left the door open.”

That support came during some of the darkest years of Hunter’s life, as his addiction repeatedly became both a deeply personal family crisis and a political weapon used against his father.

Now, Hunter says the family is confronting an entirely different struggle.

Joe Biden announced in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage 4 prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.

Hunter offered a grim update on his father’s condition, saying the disease has continued to take a serious physical toll.

“The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter told the BBC, describing the illness as “very painful” and “very debilitating in many respects.”

Despite that, Hunter said his father has continued making occasional public appearances and remains deeply engaged with the country he spent decades serving.

“He’s still doing his thing,” Hunter said. “He so believes in this country.”

Watching his father battle cancer has been heartbreaking, Hunter admitted.

“It’s really sad to watch,” he said. “The only thing that I’d say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more, because it’s not good.”

Joe Biden’s wife, former first lady Jill Biden, has also spoken candidly about her husband’s health battle.

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa, Jill said the former president is “doing okay,” but made clear that his diagnosis is something the family will now live with indefinitely.

“When we got out, he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer,” Jill explained.

She noted that some prostate cancers can be successfully treated with radiation and other therapies, but Joe’s case is more complicated because the cancer has already spread.

“Unfortunately for Joe, it metastasized to his bones,” she said. “Which means that he will forever live with cancer.”

Jill said the former president must undergo testing every three months while continuing medication as doctors closely monitor the disease.

“We have to be mindful of it every three months, testing and medicines,” she said. “And anybody who’s gone through this cancer journey — and I’ve been through it many times with members of my family, of course with Beau — it’s constant.”

“It’s daily,” she added. “And I think it’s challenging.”

For the Biden family, the latest health crisis comes after years marked by extraordinary personal loss and public scrutiny. Beau Biden died from brain cancer in 2015 at just 46, while Hunter’s addiction struggles became a constant source of anguish for the family.

Now, Hunter appears determined to speak openly about that history — including the pain he knows he caused his father — while Joe Biden faces one of the most serious battles of his life.