What happened to Michael Flatley? Riverdance star undergoes surgery in battle against aggressive cancer

Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley has been diagnosed with an "aggressive" type of cancer, according to his team.

On January 11, the 64-year-old star's team took to his Instagram handle to share a monochrome picture alongside a lengthy caption revealing his health struggles.

"Dear friends, we have something personal to share, Michael Flatley has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He has undergone surgery and is in the care of an excellent team of doctors."

The team has made no other comments or revelations about Flatley's diagnosis but has asked his fans and followers for their wishes and prayers.

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All about Michael Flatley's career and his previous cancer diagnosis

Born on July 16, 1958, Michael Flatley is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He is the son of Irish immigrants who moved to the country in 1947. The 64-year-old developed an interest in the area when he took Irish dance lessons in the city and later performed with the folk group The Chieftains.

He rose to fame in 1994 after he gave a seven-minute performance during the Eurovision Song Contest. After that, it was developed further for his stage production called Riverdance, which included Irish music and dance in its traditional forms. It had its debut in 1996 at Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.

Flatley later created stage shows like Feet of Flames, Lord of the Dance, and Celtic Tiger. Lord of the Dance broke the record by running for 21 shows consecutively at London's Wembley Arena.

In March 2017, Michael Flatley retired from dancing due to an injury he sustained during a St. Patrick's Day performance in Las Vegas. Amidst the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Lord of the Dance celebrated its 25th anniversary by touring around and collecting money for the humanitarian effort.

This is not the first time that Michael Flatley has been diagnosed with a form of cancer. In 2003, it was revealed that the dancer had malignant melanoma after a viewer spotted it on MTV.

While speaking to the Irish Independent about his cancer treatment, Flatley said:

“It was purely by chance that it was noticed. I had never even noticed it … it can be a frightening place to be.”

Michael has previously raised money for several cancer charities and research. He has collaborated with a charity called Breakthrough, where he served as an ambassador for a drive that created a county representing cancer survivors in Ireland.

Now that he has retired, Flatley has moved on to writing, directing, and producing films. His last project was a 2018 spy film, Blackbird, where he played the role of Victor Blackley.

On the personal front, Flatley is married to dancer Niamh O'Brien. He is also a father to 15-year-old Michael St. James Flatley.