Tammy Faye Fights Back
Tammy Faye Messner says she's a survivor. Once
ridiculed as the wife and evangelical sidekick to former husband
Jim Bakker, Tammy Faye saw the PTL Club crumble in controversy
and her husband caught in a not-so-Christian affair with Jessica
Hahn. And now, the colon cancer that's threatened her
life has spread to her lungs. Tammy Faye talked only to "Extra"
about this painful discovery and how she's keeping her
hope alive.
"I don't want to die, and I feel like
I've got so much more to give," Tammy Faye told us, and
despite all her challenges, she remains brave: "I'm a tough
old broad, I've learned to rise above things."
As it turns out, her lung cancer is inoperable, so Tammy Faye
is undergoing harsh chemotherapy treatments. The disease has
already wrapped itself around one of the singer's vocal chords,
causing her to speak in a raspy voice. However, things are definitely
not hopeless: "The doctors think I will have a good recovery,"
she revealed.
Tammy Faye is taking comfort from the support she's receiving
from fans and from Hollywood. "The people in Hollywood
have really been there for me," she said.
Is there anybody who isn't a Tammy Faye fan, these days?
"Probably. I imagine there's gotta be," she joked.
"A lot of people still can't get over the eyelashes."
One of her favorite fans is Rosanne Barr. As Tammy Faye related,
"I was saying to her, 'Roseanne, it's going to be
okay.' She said, 'Tammy, you be quiet, I called to
comfort you.'"
Tammy Faye also takes comfort from another one of Hollywood's
high profiles, Mel Gibson, whose film, "The Passion of
the Christ," is spreading the gospel and filling box office
collection plates. "God bless you, Mel," said Tammy
Faye. "I think what this movie did is made Jesus a real
person to people."
And despite her huge challenges, Tammy Faye thinks more about
the struggles of others. "You know, I have nothing to complain
about, all I have is cancer," she insisted. "If I live I have
a chance to enjoy a few more years on this wonderful, wonderful
earth of ours." |
