Australian singer and actor, Johnny Ruffo, passed away on Friday after battling brain cancer for a year. The 35-year-old star rose to fame after appearing in the reality show, The X Factor Australia, in 2011 and finished third. The following year, he won the 12th season of the celebrity dance show, Dancing with the Stars Australia, and gained prominence for his role in the popular soap opera, Home and Away, from 2013 to 2016.
Ruffo was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017 when he was 28 years old. He underwent rigorous treatment for two years and entered remission. However, his cancer returned in 2020. In August 2022, Ruffo announced that his cancer was terminal, and he released his memoir titled “No Finish Line” the same year.
Ruffo’s death was announced on his Instagram account, leading to an outpouring of heartfelt messages from fans. In an interview with Network 10 last August, Ruffo spoke optimistically about his cancer treatment and his outlook on life, saying, “Looking up my diagnosis and my tumour, the average life expectancy was three years. For me, it has now been five years, so I’m already winning. At some point, it is going to get me. My goal now is to try and help as many people as I can.”
On August 7, Ruffo’s long-term girlfriend, Tahnee Sims, uploaded a video montage of his battle with the disease on his official Instagram account, with the caption reading, “6 years on from diagnosis. What a fighter!!” The clip showed Ruffo undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, while displaying many smiles and thumbs-ups for the camera.
Throughout his battle, Ruffo contributed to many fundraising and awareness campaigns about brain cancer. His death marks a major loss to the entertainment industry, leaving behind an enduring legacy.
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