Brave boy. Criss Angel’s 5-year-old son, Johnny, decided to get his hair shaved following his cancer relapse.
“We must embrace what we can’t control with courage, strength and forever love. #CelebrateLove #2020,” the magician, 52, captioned a Wednesday, January 1, Instagram video.
In the footage, the New York native asked his son: “You want to keep your hair long and we’ll just let it fall off and we’ll just keep it in a ponytail or do you want to cut it off? It’s up to you.” The Mindfreak author went on to cut and shave Johnny’s hair, while his wife, Shaunyl Benson, sat and talked to him. He also posted before and after shots of the little one’s new look.
Angel, who also shares Xristos, 11 months, with the songwriter, 28, announced in December that Johnny’s cancer had returned. “He got diagnosed with pediatric cancer before he was 2 years old, he’s been in treatment for over three years, he’s been in remission, but unfortunately he had a relapse and he’s going back into the hospital on Monday,” the illusionist told TMZ at the time.
On December 10, Johnny had surgery to “place his new port,” Angel wrote on social media later that same month. “We want to thank everyone for continuing to think and pray for our beautiful son.”
The former Angeldust frontman posted pictures of Johnny at the hospital amid his chemotherapy treatment. “Back today for a long day of chemo,” Angel captioned a December Instagram post. “Sad! ANGRY! But we WILL get through this!”
In July 2017, the Phenomenon alum spoke with Us Weekly exclusively about watching his son’s daily rounds of chemotherapy. “I wish that I could take that disease and let him be free of it,” he said at the time. “No child should have to go through what he’s going through. He’s just a great, very bright, very happy boy that unfortunately has to go through a horrible experience. But he’s doing as well as he can do and he’s a really tough little boy.”
