HUMAN TO HUMAN

Grammy-Nominated Singer Reveals Why She Broke Royal Protocol to Hug Kate Middleton

Jessie J said, despite being “briefed not to,” she hugged Kate Middleton.

Singer Jessie J reveals why she hugged Kate Middleton, despite being “briefed not to.” The Grammy-nominated artist, 37, revealed that in Jun. 2025, she was diagnosed with “early breast cancer.” She rearranged her No Secrets Tour European dates because she was undergoing a mastectomy. The surgery found there had been no further spread of cancer. The artist has since undergone reconstructive surgery. The Princess of Wales, 43, announced in March 2024 that doctors discovered cancer following a major abdominal surgery in January. After undergoing chemotherapy, she shared that she was in remission in early 2025. The two were at the Royal Variety Performance, Middleton’s first red carpet appearance in two years, when the singer asked, “Can I give you a hug?” and Middleton received it. Despite the Price Tag singer being “briefed not to,” she said, “I just saw a mom that has also gone through cancer publicly… I just wanted to give her a hug — mom to mom, human to human.” Jessie said that, in the moment, she “didn’t see her as the Princess of Wales”; she “just wanted to give her a hug.”