Jeff Frank/ZUMA PressAs if fighting pancreatic cancer weren't enough of a battle, Patrick Swayze is now fighting tabloid reports of his supposedly grim-and-worsening condition.
The actor, who confirmed back in March that he was undergoing treatment for the aggressive disease, has lashed out at claims that he is near his deathbed or otherwise preparing to say goodbye to friends and family, allegations recently propagated by the National Enquirer.
The truth, according to the 56-year-old actor, is quite the opposite.
"The only thorn in my side…tabloids have been consistently reporting lies and false information about me and those close to me," he told People. "And latest, they're reporting that I'm on my last legs and saying goodbye to my tearful family!"
The rumors surfaced last week, with an unnamed source telling the tabloid that the actor's cancer had spread to his liver and, even more morbidly, that doctors had begun "the countdown to the end."
The article also claimed that the actor's brother Donny and wife of 33 years, Lisa, had grown more fearful of Swayze's health and believed he was "already on his deathbed."
"It's upsetting that the shoddy and reckless reporting from these publications cast a negative shadow on the positive and good fight I'm fighting," Swayze said. "For me, my family, and those close to me, it amounts to downright cruelty. That makes me angry when hope is so precious."
Despite his diagnosis and ongoing treatment, the actor has been working steadily since going public with his news. In June, Swayze announced that he would continue as the lead in the soon-to-debut A&E FBI drama The Beast.
"It's a great feeling of accomplishment to say you're gonna do something and do it," he told People.
"Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease and from the moment I was diagnosed, I knew I was in for the fight of my life. It's a battle, and so far, I've been winning."