My Little Pony Voice Actress Ashleigh Ball Speaks Up About Her Breast Cancer Journey

In an official video announcement on her Instagram page, Ashleigh Ball revealed that she has been battling stage IV breast cancer since August 2025. The voice actress opened up about her experiences in collaboration with Check Yourself, a breast cancer fundraiser from Left on Friday, a Canadian active swimsuit apparel.

Ashleigh is a prolific voice actress who has given life to characters from a variety of animated series, ranging from anime characters to beloved characters from Western shows. Her most popular shows include Dinosaur Train, where she voiced multiple characters, Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bitty Adventures, voicing Plum Pudding, and perhaps most famously, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Her run on the My Little Pony franchise spanned over a decade, during which she sang and voiced more than 20 characters, including the main characters Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Ashleigh has garnered a sizable following from her time on the show, with a documentary in 2012, A Brony Tale, showcasing her wholesome interactions with the fanbase.

Ashleigh has also been the lead vocalist for the indie alt rock band Hey Ocean since 2004. The band has released two albums and multiple music videos. Fans of Ashleigh from her work with My Little Pony have drawn attention to the band over its career with collaborative music videos and features at fan conventions.

Ashleigh was diagnosed last August with invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of invasive breast cancer. This kind of cancer arises when the cells that line the milk duct in the breast start to grow uncontrollably and spread to surrounding breast tissues. Unfortunately, her cancer was also classified as a triple-negative breast cancer, a variant associated with more aggressive features and poorer patient outcomes.

Learn more: Exploring the Different Types of Breast Cancer

“It was a big shock,” Ashleigh describes. “I remember it was a very gray, rainy day, and I just jumped into the ocean and swam out as far as I could.” She had never imagined she would find herself among the one in eight women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Because of how common breast cancer is, early detection is paramount in improving treatment outcomes. Ashleigh reiterated the importance of this, asserting that “self-exams are so important - the more we check ourselves, the better.”

Learn more: Early Detection of Breast Cancer: What You Need to Know

Ashleigh shared her personal experiences to the public to promote breast cancer awareness in collaboration with Check Yourself. Canada-based swimsuit company Left on Friday runs this campaign annually in October, with all proceeds from their pink swimwear and Check Yourself collection going to the Breast Cancer Foundation.

Ashleigh has not given up despite her health troubles. She continued to produce music, releasing an album, Our Slowest Season, a month after her diagnosis. Though Ashleigh struggled with feeling like “a sad bald woman with not much to offer”, her persistence shone through as she claimed, “I had no choice…at that point; I had to keep going”.

Her choice to “[have] music and creativity be on the forefront of this” allowed Ashleigh not to lose herself in the negative feelings that the diagnosis caused. She asserted, “I'm not this cancer... I'm still myself, and I'm planning on doing so many great things.”

“There has been a huge shift in my life in just facing my own mortality… It's just really forcing me to live so much more in the moment and be so much more appreciative for every little moment…” Her motherhood has also been pivotal in giving Ashleigh the strength to go on. “As a mom I want to be around.” Ashleigh’s voice quivered audibly as she asserted, “I want to see my son grow up.”

For every breast cancer patient, or perhaps every mother facing illness, she offers a message of hope. “You have to just listen to the part of you that knows that you’ve got this. Find that bit of light that exists in you.” Ashleigh Ball certainly embodies the hope that was present in her characters, reminding us that even in the face of a cancer diagnosis, there can be grace.