The rumors started swirling like a San Diego fog, thick and impossible to see through. If you’ve followed the rollercoaster that is Liz Woods’ life—from the toxic breakups with "Big Ed" Brown to her sudden move back to the Pacific Northwest—you know she’s no stranger to drama. But when the words "cancer" and "chemo" started appearing on her Instagram stories, the tone shifted from reality TV gossip to something much heavier.
People were scared. They were confused. Some, unfortunately, were even skeptical.
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Let's get the record straight right now: Liz Woods was diagnosed with cancer, but the "terminal" label that often gets attached to her name in clickbait headlines isn't the whole story. It's a classic case of internet telephone where a serious health battle gets exaggerated into a death sentence before the facts can even catch up.
The Diagnosis: Cutting Through the Noise
Early in 2025, Liz shared that she was undergoing treatment. It wasn't some vague "health journey" post either. She was blunt. She mentioned chemo. She mentioned the exhaustion.
The confusion about the type of cancer actually came from the symptoms Liz described before she got a firm answer from her doctors. For a while, fans on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) were convinced she had stomach cancer because she kept talking about intense, localized pain in her upper abdomen.
It turns out, the medical reality was a bit different. Liz eventually confirmed she was battling Stage 1 Ovarian Cancer.
Now, "Stage 1" is a massive detail that a lot of people overlook when they search for "Liz Woods terminal cancer." In the oncology world, Stage 1 means the cancer was found early and was still localized. It’s a fight, for sure, but it is a world away from being terminal.
Why did people think it was terminal?
Honestly? Because reality TV fans are used to the extreme. Also, Liz’s life at the time looked like a whirlwind of endings. She had just split—for the eleventh or twelfth time—with Ed. She was moving. She looked different. When she posted about her "last round of chemo" in early 2025, the word "chemo" carries so much weight that people naturally jumped to the worst-case scenario.
Chemo, Work, and "Passenger Princess" Life
One thing you have to admire about Liz is her grind. While she was going through the ringer with treatments, she wasn't just laying in bed.
In January 2025, she dropped a bombshell of an update that felt like three years of life packed into one week. She had:
- Finished her final round of chemotherapy.
- Gotten a promotion at her job.
- Completed her first run in over six months.
That doesn't sound like someone facing a terminal prognosis. It sounds like someone clawing their way back to a normal life. She’s been living in Washington, far away from the San Diego heat and the shadow of her past relationship, focusing on her daughter, Ryleigh, and her own recovery.
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The Jayson Chapter and the "New Man"
The timing of her illness was particularly brutal because it overlapped with her relationship with Jayson Zuniga. Remember him? The guy she introduced during the 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Season 8 Tell All? He seemed like the "anti-Ed"—tall, quiet, and seemingly supportive.
But life isn't a scripted Hallmark movie. While rumors circulated that Jayson was her rock during the initial stages of her diagnosis, things soured. By mid-2025, Jayson was out of the picture. There was plenty of messy speculation about why they split—some fans even claimed he cheated while she was sick—but Liz, for once, kept the messy details relatively private.
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026, and Liz is glowing again. She’s been "soft-launching" a new mystery man on her social media. No tags, no face reveals yet, just shots of them on bike rides and dinner dates in Washington. She’s calling herself a "passenger princess," and honestly, after years of driving the Big Ed circus bus, she probably deserves to sit in the passenger seat for a while.
Addressing the "Faking" Accusations
It’s ugly to talk about, but we have to. Whenever a reality star gets sick, a certain corner of the internet yells "HOAX!"
Some critics pointed to her lack of a visible chemo port in certain photos or the fact that she kept her hair. But here’s the thing: not every chemo regimen causes total hair loss, and not every patient needs a permanent port. Ovarian cancer treatment varies wildly depending on the specific cell type and how early it’s caught.
Acknowledging that Liz has a history of a chaotic personal life doesn't give anyone the right to dismiss a medical diagnosis. The "terminal" rumors were an internet invention, but the cancer itself was a very real, very scary chapter for a woman in her early 30s.
Where Liz Woods Stands in 2026
If you’re looking for Liz today, you won’t find her chasing Ed Brown around a Tell All stage. She seems to have finally broken that cycle.
Her health appears to be in a "maintenance" or "recovery" phase. She’s active, she’s working, and she’s posting about the simple joys—like that first run after months of fatigue. The "terminal" talk has mostly faded, replaced by fans who are just happy to see her looking healthy and, dare we say, stable.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
- Verify the Stage: When you hear a celebrity has cancer, the stage matters more than the name of the disease. Stage 1 (like Liz's) has a significantly higher survival rate than the "terminal" labels social media likes to use.
- Respect the Privacy Gap: Liz shares a lot, but she doesn't owe the public her full pathology reports. The "port-watching" and "hair-checking" by online sleuths is often based on medical misinformation.
- Follow the Timeline: Liz’s recovery journey shows that life doesn't stop during chemo. You can get promoted and go for runs, even when you're fighting a battle behind the scenes.
Liz Woods isn't dying. She’s very much living, and for the first time in her public life, it seems like she’s doing it on her own terms.
Keep an eye on her Instagram for the inevitable "hard launch" of the new guy, but more importantly, keep an eye on her advocacy. She’s started using her platform more to talk about women’s health and the importance of listening to your body when something feels "off" in your gut—literally.
Next Steps for You:
If you or someone you know is experiencing persistent abdominal pain, bloating, or changes in bathroom habits—symptoms Liz originally mistook for stomach issues—don't wait for it to "go away." Early detection is the only reason Liz's story isn't the tragedy the internet claimed it was. Schedule a check-up and be your own advocate.