Singer Nivea shares cancer diagnosis

R&B singer Nivea is speaking publicly about her cancer diagnosis, sharing that she learned earlier this year she has leukemia. She discussed the news during a July 21 episode of Cadillac Chronicles TV.

“I was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year. I am so grateful to God. I’ve been going through treatment, and everything is going great so far. And I expect it to continue.”

She said the diagnosis forced her to slow down and look at her life differently. Because of that shift, she said she now lives “very grateful for life.”

Nivea On Leukemia Diagnosis

Nivea said doctors identified chronic myeloid leukemia, an uncommon blood‑marrow cancer that progresses slowly and often affects older adults, according to the Mayo Clinic. She explained that the diagnosis surprised her, especially because doctors needed two bone‑marrow biopsies to confirm it.

“As incredibly surprised as I was to have the diagnosis confirmed after [two] (because the [first] one wasn’t successful) bone marrow biopsy procedures, I was profoundly thankful that it wasn’t Blast [blastoma], which would have meant chemotherapy as part of the treatment,” she told People in a July 23 statement.

Doctors Say the Disease Was Not Hereditary

Nivea said doctors told her the disease was neither hereditary nor lifestyle‑induced. She called that news “a relief yet still a bit puzzling.” Even so, she said she has stayed grounded in gratitude.

“It’s so cliché to say you don’t know the time nor the hour, but it’s true,” she said on Cadillac Chronicles TV.

“It just helped me put a lot of things in perspective, and I live in gratitude religiously.”

Nivea Pursues Long‑Held Dreams During Recovery

Nivea said the diagnosis pushed her to pursue her lifelong goals.

“I’m doing things I want to do. Definitely back into my music,” she said. “I’m going to school for audio engineering. I’ve always wanted to learn how to engineer and mixing engineering in particular.”

She added that she is “doing all the things” outside of music as well. The “Complicated” singer, who shares four children with exes The‑Dream and Lil Wayne, said she is “loving on my children and just being grateful and taking every opportunity that comes my way.”