SNLAlum Vanessa Bayer Recalls How Her Dad Used Her Childhood Leukemia as an Excuse and Would 'Drop the L Bomb'

Mar. 15, 2025

From Left: Todd Bayer and Vanessa on Nov. 07, 2019.Photo:Noam Galai/Getty

Noam Galai/Getty

Vanessa Bayeris sharing how her family used humor to deal with her leukemia diagnosis as a child.

Bayer, who had lymphoblastic leukemia as a teenager, continued, “And he didn’t get the ticket and he came home and he was like, ‘I dropped the L bomb.’ People, we would come home with examples all the time left and right of like, ‘Hey, I said you had leukemia and they gave me this thing for free.’ ”

From Left: Vanessa Bayer and her dad, Todd.Vanessa Bayer/Instagram

Vanessa Bayer/Instagram

“I’m sure it was horrible for them but they were able to get themselves at times you know when they were with me to that place when I needed it,” she added.

Back in April 2022, the comedian shared how she would also use her leukemia to her advantage during anappearance onToday.

“I loved the special treatment that I got and I sort of used my illness to … you know, I got the perks out of it and I’d come into school late and I got a free pass and I got out of gym class, and what’s better than that,” Bayer explained.

That same month, Bayer, who leftSNLin 2017 after seven years, also toldEntertainment Tonightthat her battle with cancerinspired her Showtime series,I Love That for You.

Vanessa Bayer in ‘I Love That for You’.Nicole Wilder/SHOWTIME

“This character had childhood leukemia and I had childhood leukemia,” Bayer told the outlet. “I would sort of use the fact that I was sick to get special treatment and I would sort of capitalize on the perks of having cancer.”

“I thought it would be fun to do something where I explored that element about it,” she said ofI Love That for You. “We sort of love the special treatment that we get and when that time is over, when people forget about it, we’re like, ‘Well, where’s my special treatment?’ "

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source: people.com