Blink-182 sends love to ‘super-human’ Mark Hoppus amid cancer battle
Musicians Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker have offered words of support to their Blink-182 bandmate Mark Hoppus, who announced Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with cancer.
On social media, singer and bassist Hoppus, 49, revealed that he has been receiving chemotherapy treatment for cancer “for the past three months.” He did not specify what kind of cancer he is battling.
“It sucks and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and family and friends to get me through this,” Hoppus wrote in a statement.
“I still have months of treatment ahead of me but I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive. Can’t wait to be cancer free and see you all at a concert in the near future. Love to you all.”
In response to Hoppus’ announcement, singer and guitarist DeLonge, 45, wrote on Twitter that he has been “aware of @markhoppus’s cancer diagnosis for awhile now” and praised his collaborator’s resilience.
“I would also like to say that he is strong, and a super-human who is pushing through this difficult obstacle with a wide-open heart,” DeLonge tweeted, along with a punching-fist emoji and the hashtag #WeHaveHisBack.
In a statement to E! News, drummer Barker, 45, also expressed “love and support” for Hoppus, who founded Blink-182 along with DeLonge and ex-drummer Scott Raynor in the early 1990s.
“Mark is my brother,” Barker told E!. “I will be with him every step of the way on stage and off and can’t wait for us to play together again soon.”
Shortly after updating about 3.8 million combined Twitter and Instagram followers on his health, Hoppus shared a photo of himself hooked up to an IV at a medical facility, which he captioned “Yes hello. One cancer treatment please.”
Despite a tumultuous lineup change in 2015, the trio remain a rock staple, and their new album tackles modern sounds and the plague of mass shootings.
News of Hoppus’ cancer diagnosis comes about a month after Summerfest officials confirmed that Blink-182 would no longer be performing at the music festival, which has been delayed multiple times throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and is now scheduled to take place in September.
At the time, Summerfest organizers attributed the punk rock group‘s withdrawal to “circumstances beyond the band’s control.”
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