NEED TO KNOW
- Jessie J shares why she hugged Kate Middleton at the Royal Variety Performance despite being briefed “not to”
- The women, who have both been open about their cancer journeys, shared an emotional moment at the event in London
- The singer said, “I just wanted to give her a hug — mom to mom, human to human”
Jessie J is opening up about her emotional interaction with Kate Middleton at the Royal Variety Performance, including breaking protocol to give the royal a hug.
In an interview on the U.K. show This Morning on Wednesday, Dec. 3, the “Price Tag” singer, 37, reflected on the moment she embraced the Princess of Wales, 43, at the Nov. 19 event, discussing their moment of connection after they had both publicly shared their cancer journeys.
“I was briefed not to, but…I just saw a mom that has also gone through cancer publicly, and I just wanted to give her a hug,” explained Jessie. “It was as simple as that. I didn’t see her as the Princess of Wales, I mean obviously I did, and I was respectful…I said to her, ‘Can I give you a hug?’ and she received it.”
“I just said [to her], ‘It’s inspiring.’ And I just…I know the days that she has maybe gone through, and I just wanted to give her a hug — mom to mom, human to human,” the singer added.
Princess Kate’s appearance at the Royal Variety Performance marked her first red carpet appearance alongside Prince William in two years, as she heavily reduced her royal duties in 2024 while undergoing treatment for cancer.
In March 2024, the Princess of Wales revealed in a personal video message that she was undergoing chemotherapy after having a “planned abdominal surgery” in January that year. She announced she had completed chemotherapy in September 2024 and shared that she was in remission in early 2025.
Jessie, meanwhile, announced to her fans that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June and shared updates on social media of her mastectomy. She was due to undergo a second operation, which was subsequently postponed.
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Jessie shared on This Morning that she’s feeling “good” in a health update.
“It’s been a lovely chance to really show that side of my personality, that I am the kind of person that in hard times … put your umbrella up and just keep walking through the rain,” said Jessie. “My blessings outweigh anything that’s happened. And the beauty of all of this is that I’ve had quality time with my mom, I’m more present as a parent…I’m here.”
“Also, I’ve been able to have these beautiful connective talks with people, and my friends have checked their breasts and gone, ‘I found something, and I’m going to get it looked at,’ that would never have [happened] before,” continued the singer.
“I would never have thought that I would have found a lump and gone and it be cancer, but it was,” said Jessie. “And you face it, and we move through positivity, and I’m just grateful that I didn’t have chemotherapy. My story was very simple in the best way it could have been.”
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