‘Playing House’s Jessica St. Clair Reveals Cancer Battle & Her Character’s Diagnosis In Season 3

Playing House actress Jessica St. Clair has revealed that her character will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the upcoming third season, a storyline that mirrors real life for St. Clair.

In an emotional essay Tuesday for Stand Up To Cancer, St. Clair shared that she had been diagnosed in 2015 with stage 2b estrogen positive breast cancer, which she successfully beat through reconstruction surgery, 16 rounds of chemo, and radiation.

In her essay, she writes that her Playing House character, Emma, will be diagnosed with breast cancer this season, and will undergo the exact same treatment that she did.

“We were worried about bringing such serious subject matter to a comedy show, but we’ve always written what we’ve lived. And our real story is that with the help of her best friend, and the people who love her, my character is able to get through the treatment and actually emerge somehow happier and more fulfilled than she was before she was diagnosed. We hope that by sharing my experience—our experience, Lennon and I—that somebody who is going through this process or helping their loved one through it might feel less alone, and might even have some better information for their cancer care. Because that’s really all that matters at the end of the day, right? That we try and be that bridge for each other.”

Playing House Season 3 premieres Friday, June 23 on USA Network.