Rita Wilson Says Surviving Breast Cancer and COVID-19 Was a Strange Experience

Multi-talented star, Rita Wilson, speaks out on her encounter with breast cancer and the deadly novel coronavirus, and how the experience changed her outlook on health.

When people hear about health problems affecting others, they usually feel like it cannot happen to them. Rita Wilson was no different until she was diagnosed with breast cancer the year after she lost her mom to Alzheimer's disease. It was then that the multi-talented star realized that she was not invincible.

Wilson had to undergo a double mastectomy to treat the disease, and she has remained cancer-free since the procedure. She spoke about her reaction to her diagnosis during an interview with Health:

"...When it first happens, you're like, 'What is this?' It's different. I'm so thankful that there is reconstruction."

Rita and her husband, Tom Hanks, were in Australia for one of Tom's projects when the COVID-19 outbreak started intensifying.

Due to her experience with breast cancer, Rita acknowledged the possibility that they could be infected and told her husband about it. The duo ended up contracting the novel coronavirus, and it felt strange to the songwriter because she had predicted it.

The couple was lucky to have access to proper medical care, so they both got through it. Rita's encounter with breast cancer has also led to some lifestyle changes, which she revealed during the interview:

"... my diet and alcohol consumption have changed because of what we know helps. For example, a plant-based diet is much healthier…"

The 63-year-old singer has had another change in perspective as a result of the ongoing pandemic. She now has a new definition of beauty after recovering from the viral infection.

Rita thinks that things that have been related to beauty are artificial things like makeup. The multi-talented star sees beauty in acts of kindness, such as appreciation of health care workers and typical day to day happenings.

To back up her point, the actress has ditched makeup, which she only started wearing due to work-related demands. She posed makeup-free on this week's Beautiful Issue. Wilson debuted her new look in a video of herself rapping, which she posted on social media.

Apart from supporting her new perspective on beauty, her decision to go make-up free has made her beauty routine less stressful.

Rita and her husband are taking things one step at a time and helping out how ever they can, as they pass through these uncertain times.