In a lengthy and deeply personal interview with the BBC's "Newsnight," Hunter Biden spoke about his battle with addiction, the presidential pardon he received from his father, and the health of former US President Joe Biden. The most sensitive part of the interview was the account of Joe Biden's health, who was diagnosed in May 2025 with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, which at the time of diagnosis had spread to the bones.

According to Hunter Biden, the former president's condition has worsened. He said the disease has spread further, causing his father severe pain and extreme fatigue. "It's really hard. It's very sad to see," Hunter said, describing the situation as extremely painful and debilitating. However, he stressed that Joe Biden continues to play an important role in the family's life. "My father is still the center of our family. He is the best father, the best husband and the best grandfather," he said. Hunter Biden also spoke about Joe Biden's decision, in December 2024, to grant him a full and unconditional presidential pardon.

The pardon covered federal crimes committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024. Hunter acknowledged that his father's decision was politically controversial, but said he understood the reasoning behind it. "What would you think of my father if he didn't do this for me?" he said. Hunter also claimed that Joe Biden feared his son would become a target after Donald Trump returned to the White House.

However, he denied that there was any prior agreement or discussion with his father about the pardon, arguing that such a thing would be too difficult to keep secret. Hunter Biden also returned to the June 2024 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, whose poor performance increased the pressure on the then-president due to his age and ability to continue the race. Hunter said that, while watching the debate from California, he immediately realized that something was wrong with his father. “I was shocked. I knew something was wrong,” he confessed. Initially, Hunter said he attributed the poor performance to fatigue caused by the many trips and commitments. But after Joe Biden was diagnosed with cancer, he reflected on whether the disease could have affected his condition at that time.

In the interview, Hunter Biden also spoke openly about the darkest period of his life and his battle with addiction. He described a period of extreme alcohol and cocaine use, saying he consumed very large amounts of alcohol and used cocaine at very frequent intervals. Hunter described that period as “hell on earth,” denying that his addiction was a result of a sense of privilege or power that came from his family.

According to him, it all started as a way to escape stress and isolation, but ended in an addiction that seriously endangered his life. Hunter Biden also said that he has no intention of entering politics or running for any public office. Instead, he wants to focus on awareness of addiction and the recovery process, an issue that, according to him, can serve as a unifying point in a politically divided society. At the end of the interview, Hunter spoke in emotional tones about his father, highlighting above all his resilience in the face of difficulties. “I am very proud of his resilience,” he said, describing Joe Biden as the strongest person he knows.

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