Howie Mandel reveals grandson’s leukemia battle and remission amid emotional cancer journey

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Howie Mandel recently shared, for the first time, that his nine-year-old grandson, Axel, privately fought leukemia and is now in remission.

Simon Cowell, the 69-year-old TV judge from America’s Got Talent, recently opened up about a sensitive subject with his daughter, Jackelyn Schultz, during an interview on the In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast.

Jackelyn is Howie’s eldest child and she shares both Axel as well as Abbey, 11, with husband Alex. 

Axel was diagnosed after a trip to Hawaii, and chemotherapy started for him almost immediately.

Howie shared that his grandson received a bone marrow transplant from his sister, and happily reported that the nine-year-old is now in remission and doing well.

The celebrity shared that their child has been battling health issues for three or four years and is still facing challenges. Because their child’s immune system isn’t working properly, they’re unable to attend school. Thankfully, the child is doing well and their leukemia is currently in remission. The family is now focused on strengthening their child’s immune system.

Jackelyn pointed out that fighting cancer involves much more than just medical treatment.

She said Axel is recovering well, but they’re still navigating the challenges that come with his diagnosis and transplant.

Howie and his daughter remembered getting criticism, like when Jackelyn wore a mask during the recording of the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast.

The TV personality explained that while recording their podcast, guests sometimes came in with colds, and Jackelyn would wear a mask as a precaution.

His daughter went on to explain that she received a lot of hateful and harsh criticism, with people assuming it was because she held different political views.

You know, sometimes it feels incredibly isolating. People go about their day, completely unaware of the struggles you’re facing. I often find myself thinking, ‘If they only knew what was going on behind the scenes – right now, I’m just trying to get to my son, who’s in the hospital, and it’s all-consuming.’ It’s a reminder that everyone carries burdens we can’t see, and a little empathy goes a long way.

Jackelyn explained that she values her privacy and chose not to publicly discuss her son’s health issues.

It’s surprising, but I expect some people will either criticize what’s happening or try to explain away why I’m struggling.

She explained that she doesn’t want any negativity in her life, particularly concerning that specific problem.

Jackelyn sometimes shares photos of her family on Instagram, including pictures of her father with his grandkids.

In addition to his grandchildren Axel and Abbey, Howie Mandel is also a grandfather to Noa, who turned one last year and is the daughter of his daughter, Riley.

The celebrity has often expressed excitement about becoming a grandparent, as she shared on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Howie, who has three children – Jackelyn, Riley, and Alex – with his wife Terry Mandel, says he finds being a grandfather ‘even more rewarding than being a father.’

He jokingly told Hudson, “If I’d known being a grandparent was this enjoyable, I would have had kids sooner!”

The joy of having a child, of experiencing that incredible love… and then the bittersweet realization that they eventually grow up and leave the nest.

Howie is a judge on the current season-the 20th-of America’s Got Talent.

The show was missing one of its stars last week, and host Terry Crews explained why they weren’t there.

The actor from ‘White Chicks’ explained that there was an empty chair because Howie Mandel experienced a family loss and couldn’t be there tonight, according to NBC.

Okay, so things took a bit of an unexpected turn, and unfortunately, Howie had to step away. Details are still pretty scarce, but the show must go on! Mel B, Simon, and Sofia continued judging as usual, keeping things moving forward.

The TV star came back to the show this Tuesday and happily posed for photos on the red carpet.

He was wearing black pants, a black button-down shirt, and a vest with bright pink and red stripes down the sides.

On Wednesday, the celebrity stopped to pose for a fun photo with Mel B while they were both seated at the judges’ table in a large auditorium.

Season 20 of America’s Got Talent is slated to air the finale later this month on September 24. 

Howie is also preparing to celebrate a milestone and will ring in his 70th birthday on November 29. 

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2025-09-18 17:24