Elle Macpherson has doubled down on her controversial cancer treatment following her diagnosis seven years ago.
Appearing on the “Today” show in Australia Monday, the supermodel got into a heated debate with co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Amelia Adams following her revelation that she refused chemotherapy from 32 doctors.
Macpherson, 60, last week revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and is now finally in remission.
In her upcoming memoir “Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself,” said her decision to take on a holistic approach to the diagnosis was met with criticism from her loved ones.
But on Monday’s show, Macpherson said that the media attention surrounding her treatment was drawing attention away from other key points made in the book.
“The book isn’t about cancer. And the focus on it is really distorted,” the Aussie catwalk star said. “It’s distorting the rest of the gems that are in the book.”
“I know, but you’ve found yourself in the middle of a debate that I think so many women are having with not just the community, but with the conventional medical profession,” Stefanovic said, adding that it’s a “good thing” that she has “sparked the debate.”
Following her lumpectomy seven years ago, the WelleCo founder was diagnosed with HER2-positive estrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma — a type of breast cancer characterized by a higher level of a protein that can help breast cells multiply quickly.
Macpherson said her decision to forego chemotherapy wasn’t made lightly.
“Just to be clear, I sought a lot of medical advice,” she said. “It was very interesting, because every doctor has a different opinion on how to treat my specific case of breast cancer.”
“There was no clear path and there was no guarantees either way,” she continued. “So, I just made a decision based on all the information that I gathered and what felt right for me.”
It was then that the conversation took a wrong turn after Adams asked about Macpherson’s sobriety, which she touches on in her memoir.
In the book, the model revealed that she used to drink vodka every night after putting her children to bed.
“At what point did you realize [alcoholism] was an issue for you?” Adams said, before asking how much alcohol the supermodel was consuming each night.
“Everybody wants to know the juicy details! What is it with you guys?” Macpherson responded.
In an effort to diffuse the tension, Stefanovic chimed in, saying they were only asking “because we drink.”
