For a family that spent decades under the glare of American politics, some of the hardest moments are inevitably lived away from the cameras.
For Hunter Biden, one of those moments is watching his father, former United States President Joe Biden, battle an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has now spread beyond its original location.
Hunter disclosed the development during an interview with the BBC, revealing that the cancer has metastasised to his father’s bones and describing the illness as increasingly painful and debilitating.
The disclosure offers a more intimate picture of Biden’s health battle, coming from the son who has remained close to the former president through a period that has tested the family emotionally and physically.
‘It’s Very Painful’
Speaking about his father’s condition, Hunter said the progression of the disease had been particularly difficult for the family to witness.
He expressed concern that Biden tends to endure his difficulties quietly rather than complain about the pain he is experiencing.
“I wish he would complain more, because it’s not good, the cancer has spread and further. It’s very painful… very debilitating,” Hunter said.
He added: “Cancer is really hard. It’s really sad to watch.”
The comments paint a picture familiar to many families dealing with serious illness: the painful transition from hoping treatment will work to confronting the reality that a loved one’s condition may be becoming more difficult to control.
For Hunter, however, his father remains much more than a former president whose health is being closely followed around the world.
“He’s the best father, the best husband, the best grandfather,” he said.
The Man Behind The Presidency
Joe Biden spent more than five decades in American public life, serving as a senator, vice president and ultimately the 46th president of the United States.
But Hunter’s comments focused less on the politician and more on the father at the centre of his family.
Despite his advancing age and health challenges, Biden remains a central figure in the Biden family, according to his son.
That personal dimension is significant because illness has a way of stripping away political titles.
The man who once stood behind a presidential podium addressing millions of Americans is now, for his family, simply a father and grandfather facing one of life’s most difficult battles.
Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis
Biden first revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 2025, several months after leaving the White House.
Doctors described the cancer as an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones at the time of diagnosis.
The diagnosis prompted an outpouring of concern and support from across the United States, including from political figures who had spent years on opposite sides of the political divide.
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Biden subsequently said he was responding to treatment and remained hopeful about managing the disease.
He also thanked members of the public who had offered prayers and messages of support following the announcement.
A Battle Beyond Politics
Biden’s illness has inevitably renewed discussions about age, health and the extraordinary pressures faced by people who spend their lives in public office.
But Hunter’s latest comments shift the conversation away from political arguments and towards something far more universal.
Cancer does not care whether someone once occupied the Oval Office.
It does not distinguish between presidents and private citizens, between powerful families and ordinary ones. And for those watching a loved one battle the disease, the most important question is rarely about politics or legacy.
It is simply whether there will be more time.
For the Biden family, that question has now become more pressing as Hunter says the disease has progressed and become increasingly painful.
At 83, Biden’s health remains a matter of public interest because of his former position as president. But behind the headlines is a family confronting the vulnerability that accompanies serious illness.
And for Hunter, the public figure is still first and foremost the person he calls his dad.