Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus on how his cancer diagnosis healed his friendship with Tom DeLonge

Blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus has shared how his cancer diagnosis healed his friendship with Tom DeLonge.

• READ MORE: Blink-182 at Reading Festival 2024: a welcome return for the unfiltered pop-punk pioneers

The bassist opened up about his new memoir Fahrenheit-182, which drops today, in an interview with The Guardian. The book details his journey with cancer, from first being diagnosed with lymphoma in 2021 to his chemotherapy treatment, admitting to the newspaper that “I really thought I was going to die”.

Though Hoppus said the exhaustion of chemo, steroids and physical pain “crushed me for months on end”, he also told The Guardian the diagnosis “brought back friendships that I hadn’t had in years” – including his tumultuous friendship with Blink-182 co-founder Tom DeLonge.

Speaking to The Guardian, Hoppus said: “It healed my friendship with Tom: from day one, he was like: ‘What do you need? I’m there.’ In that friendship and the love and support of people around me, I thought: you know what? I’ve had a pretty awesome life.”

DeLonge has had an on-off relationship with Blink-182; the band previously went on “indefinite hiatus” in 2004, reportedly due to DeLonge’s indecision about touring.

In 2015, remaining members Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker confirmed DeLonge’s departure, despite DeLonge claiming he didn’t leave the band: “I never quit the band… The ONLY truth here is that I have commitments that limit my availability this year. I love Blink-182 and I’m not leaving.”

Hoppus was declared cancer-free later in 2021; DeLonge reunited with the band to embark on a world tour and release their comeback album ‘One More Time‘ in 2023, which NME rated three stars: “They aren’t all that far away from who they’ve always been – three friends wanting to make some noise and have a riot of a time doing it.

“Although they’re not exactly revolutionising pop punk, this was likely never the goal. Chances are, the fans just want the old Blink back anyway, and in 2023, they’re just as fun as ever.”

The band are also set to play a slew of festivals this year, including See.Hear.Now, Shaky Knees and When We Were Young. DeLonge also teased some “spring break” shows last January: “We are board and want to playyyyy – we miss you fuckers [sic]”.

In other news, Sublime are reportedly working on their first album since 1996 with Travis Barker.

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