A much loved actress has died at the age of 63 of a rare and incurable form of blood cancer.
South African actress Michelle Botes died on this morning (Saturday December 21) in Cape Town. She was 63 years old.
Botes’ talent agency, Oh Talent Management, confirmed her death to News24. Actors agent Suzi Howes said in a statement: “We are very saddened by the news. She was an icon of our industry. Michelle had grace and a beautiful spirit. She will be greatly missed. Sending our deepest sympathies and condolences to her family and loved ones.”
It was only recently, in an interview with the Afrikaans magazine Bruis, that Botes revealed that she had been diagnosed with advanced multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable form of blood cancer that impacts the bone marrow, in July 2022.
She underwent treatment that included chemotherapy, steroids, and, eventually, a stem cell transplant. In October, however, she said that doctors had told her that she had two to three months to live due to an alarming rise in her cancer count. In November, she began exploring a more holistic and less invasive cancer treatment but her health had detroriated in recent weeks.
Botes has appeared in numerous television shows throughout her career, including Seeduiker, Die Swart Kat, Wolwedans in Die Skemer, Konings, Binnelanders, and Legacy.
