Jill Biden says she still talks to her late son Beau every morning, and now she is asking him to help his father fight cancer.
Quick Take
- Jill Biden told podcast host Jamie Kern Lima that she prays to her son, Beau Biden, every day.
- She said she gets frustrated and calls out, “Beau, where are you? I need you,” as Joe Biden battles cancer.
- Beau Biden died in 2015 at age 46 after a fight with brain cancer.
- Joe Biden announced his own cancer diagnosis in May 2025 and says he will live with it for the rest of his life.
A Mother’s Prayer Becomes Public
Jill Biden opened up about grief and faith during an August 17 episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show. She said prayer has become part of her daily routine since losing her son.
“Every morning, I pray to Beau, you know, and I think he listens,” she told Kern Lima. The comment came as she discussed how her family copes with her husband’s cancer fight.
Her words carried more weight because of the timing. Joe Biden is currently living with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and Jill Biden described feeling overwhelmed at times.
She said, “I pray to Beau, and I think he listens, and now with … Joe’s cancer diagnosis, I get a little frustrated and I say, ‘Beau, where are you? I need you,'” according to ABC News.
Former first lady Dr. Jill Biden said she prays to her late son, Beau Biden, as her family tries to support former President Joe Biden, who is battling an aggressive form of prostate cancer. https://t.co/WcVZ7AzuNH
— ABC News (@ABC) August 17, 2026
A Family Marked by Loss and Illness
Beau Biden served as Delaware’s attorney general before he died from brain cancer in 2015. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported he was diagnosed in August 2013 and underwent treatment before his death two years later at age 46. His death reshaped how the Biden family talks about faith, loss, and resilience in the years since.
Jill Biden has spoken before about how Beau’s death tested her belief in God. She told Kelly Clarkson she had prayed hard every day hoping her stepson would survive, and struggled afterward to understand why her prayers were not answered the way she hoped. That history gives context to why she now turns to prayer again as her husband faces his own diagnosis.
Joe Biden’s Ongoing Cancer Fight
Joe Biden’s office announced his prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025 after doctors found a nodule during an exam. Doctors classified it as an aggressive, advanced form of the disease.
Jill Biden said in a June 2026 interview on NBC’s Today that her husband is “doing OK” but will carry the disease for the rest of his life, describing regular testing and medication as part of their new normal.
She has continued to give public updates on his condition in the months since the diagnosis. Jill Biden said the 83-year-old former president keeps a schedule but has slowed his pace.
She described needing to stay alert to his health every few months through ongoing checkups, a routine she says has become part of the whole family’s daily life.
Grief and Public Life Intersect Again
The Biden family has spoken openly about grief for years, going back to the 2015 loss of Beau. Joe Biden marked the tenth anniversary of his son’s death in May 2025 with public remarks in Delaware, calling it a day that still weighs on him. Jill Biden’s latest comments extend that same public reckoning into a new chapter tied to her husband’s own diagnosis.
Her remarks reflect a pattern common to families facing serious illness: leaning on memory and faith for strength. For the Bidens, that has meant returning to Beau’s memory again and again for comfort.
Jill Biden’s words this month show that connection has not faded, even years after his death, as the family confronts another cancer battle together.
Jill Biden has not indicated that the prayers are anything more than a personal coping method, and no additional details beyond her public remarks have been reported. Her comments stand as a straightforward, personal reflection on faith and loss during a difficult family moment.
Sources:
abcnews.com, instyle.com, usatoday.com, bbc.com
