Stars can get sick, too.
According to the CDC, 6 in 10 Americans have at least one chronic condition, and 4 in 10 adults have two or more.
No one is exempt from this statistic—including Hollywood.
Celebrities like Morgan Freeman, Selma Blair, Lady Gaga, and Tom Hanks have publicly opened up about their health concerns—sharing their diagnosis, treatment plans, and even lessons learned during it all.
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox opened up about his Parkinson's disease (which impacts nerve cells in the brain and affects muscle function and speech) in 1998.
It took him seven years after being diagnosed to go public with it—but he has no regrets. He has since been on a crusade to help find a cure.
Selma Blair
Selma Blair first shared her Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis—a condition hat affects the brain and central nervous system—on Instagram back in October of 2018.
Apparently, she had felt “off” for years, but chalked it up to a pinched nerve. She now walks with a cane, but continued to be candid about her struggles with the illness on social media.
Frankie Muniz
Frankie Muniz has a long track record with concussions, from both childhood and his car-racing career. Doctors believe this has led to the 15+ transient ischemic attacks—which are basically “mini strokes.”
As a result, he has memory loss, particularly from his Malcolm in the Middle days.
Muniz has come to terms with his memory loss, and his chronic illness, and claims it does not stop him from moving forward in life.
Wendy Williams
Wendy Williams shared her Graves’ Disease—a form of hyperthyroidism—diagnosis in 2018 on her talk show. She had apparently thought it was menopause for some time first.
Her condition causes her to suffer from brain fog, irregular menstrual cycles, eye twitching, and more.
Carrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba opened up about her Sjogren’s Syndrome diagnosis during an interview with People Magazine. Sjogren’s Syndrome is an autoimmune disease that causes dry eyes, dry mouth, joint pain, fatigue, and other symptoms.
She has also shared about her experiences with fibromyalgia, and plans to remain open about her “invisible diseases” to raise awareness.
Gina Rodriguez
Gina Rodriguez was diagnosed at age 26 with Hashimoto’s disease—the most common cause of hypothyroidism.
She has apparently had it for several years and manages it with medication and lifestyle changes.
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union was diagnosed with Adenomyosis—a chronic illness that causes endometrial tissue to grow into the uterine wall. Sadly, she has experienced countless miscarriages as a result.
Union actively works to raise awareness and help others who are “suffering in silence.”
Yolanda Hadid
Yolanda Hadid, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star has battled with Lyme disease since 2012. She apparently contracted the disease through tick bites.
Hadid wrote on a blog that she has lost her ability to read, write, and even watch TV because she cannot process information or stimulation.
Although she experiments with new ways to limit the symptoms, she says the recovery is á long and winding road of small victories.”
Dan Reynolds
Eight years ago, the Imagine Dragons lead singer first felt “debilitating” back pain that lasted for quite some time.
Eventually he was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)—a chronic condition that causes joint inflammation. Two of his siblings also have AS.
He now advocates to raise awareness via a web-based talk show.
Sven-Sebastian Sajak, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland has kidney dysplasia—which happens when the internal structures of a fetus’s kidneys develop abnormally in the womb.
Hyland had a kidney transplant in 2012, and a second transplant in 2017 after her body rejected the first one.
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham has battled Endometriosis for years—a painful condition that causes tissue to outside the uterus. In 2018 she underwent a full hysterectomy in an attempt to ease symptoms.
She had a rough road leading to the diagnosis, and she stands by other women who suffer through the same painful fight.
Selena Gomez
In 2015, Selena Gomez revealed that she has Lupus—an inflammatory disease that causes the immune system to attack its own tissues.
In her case, lupus harmed her kidneys, leading to a kidney transplant in 2017—which was donated by her best friend.
She credits her bestie for giving her the “ultimate gift of life,” and says she is doing “quite well now.”
Nick Jonas
Nick Jonas is among the 1.25 million Americans living with Type 1 Diabetes. He was diagnosed back when he was only 13 years old.
Jonas said he worried it would halt his career, as he was diagnosed just as he was getting started in the industry. Thankfully, he manages it well.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga revealed in 2017 that she has Fibromyalgia—which causes widespread muscle pain, along with fatigue and issues with sleep and memory.
Her condition has led to “severe pain” and tour cancellations many times during her music career.
Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid, Yolanda Hadid’s daughter, suffers from chronic Lyme Disease, just like her mother.
“It starts with brain fog; for a while I couldn’t put sentences together,” she said of her struggle back in 2016.
Her illness often leaves her exhausted to the point where she has to reschedule campaigns.
Lil Wayne
In 2013, Lil Wayne revealed that he has Epilepsy—a neurological disorder characterized by seizures.
The rapper has told interviewers that he has had countless seizures over his lifetime, including a series of three back-to-back episodes that were so severe his heart rate dropped to 30% of its normal activity—almost resulting in loss of life.
Lil Wayne’s battle with epilepsy is serious and may be triggered by stress, lack of sleep, and consumption of alcohol.
Ted Alexander Somerville, Shutterstock
Kim Kardashian West
Kim Kardashian West has come forward about her battle with Psoriasis—an autoimmune skin condition that she has had for years.
In 2017, she told People Magazine that she had started light therapy, and that it was actually working quite well to reduce her symptoms.
Daisy Ridley
The Star Wars actress first spoke out about her struggles with Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) back in 2016. Both of which are hormone related conditions that cause pain, infertility, irregular cycles, excessive hair growth, acne, and weight gain.
She had been diagnosed at age 15, and now advocates for women who also suffer from the same thing.
Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid, another daughter of Yolanda Hadid, also suffers from a chronic illness like her mother and sister. However, Gigi has Hashimoto’s Disease—an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid hormone.
Her condition went undiagnosed during the beginning of her modelling career, which she says set her back a bit due to her weight struggles.
Venus Williams
In 2011, Venus Williams opened up about her struggle with Sjogren’s Syndrome—an autoimmune disease that causes dry eyes, dry mouth, joint pain, fatigue, and other symptoms.
Williams struggles a lot with fatigue, saying most days she has some level of tiredness, and sometimes she feels so sick she cannot get out of bed.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Flickr
Sasha Pieterse
Sasha Pieterse was only recently diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)—a hormone imbalance that often causes severe pain.
She said she had various symptoms for quite some time before figuring out what was wrong.
Winnie Harlow
Model, Winnie Harlow, spoke up in 2018 about her Vitiligo—which causes loss of skin color in large blotches.
Harlow wants the public to know that she is not a “vitiligo sufferer,” nor is she a “vitiligo model”: “I am a model, and I happen to have Vitiligo. Stop putting these titles on me or anyone else. I am not suffering! If anything, I am succeeding at showing people that their differenced done make them who they are!”
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2001. He has told interviewers that diabetes has a lot of hurdles to jump over, and that changing his lifestyle and taking it seriously are the most important ways to manage the disease.
Jamie Lamor Thompson, Shutterstock
Shania Twain
In 2003, Shania Twain was bitten by a tick while she was horseback riding. Unfortunately, she contracted Lyme Disease as a result, and for some time she was very worried she would never sing again.
Although she found a way to persevere, it has been confirmed that her voice changed as a result of the disease.
Halsey
Halsey has Endometriosis—the condition where tissue grows outside the uterus, causing severe pain in the pelvic region.
Halsey says her diagnosis was a relief as it meant she “was not crazy,” and was not “being a baby,” when it came to suffering through the symptoms.
Magic Johnson
NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson has HIV. The retired basketball player has been living with the disease for over 25 years. At the time of diagnosis, he was recently married with a pregnant wife.
Johnson has said that he likely contracted the disease through intimate contact with someone else, and he only found out about it through a routine physical.
Even so, Johnson has remained well, and has been managing his disease through medication and lifestyle changes.
Halle Berry
Back in 1989, Halle Berry was filming the television series, Living Dolls, when she lapsed into a diabetic coma.
Shortly afterward, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes—at the age of 22.
Missy Elliott
In 2011, Missy Elliott revealed that she had been diagnosed with Graves’ Disease—an autoimmune condition that attacks the thyroid, causing hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).
A few years prior, she had nearly wrecked her car while experiencing tremors, which is what led to testing and a diagnosis.
She has been doing well since then.
Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon has Lupus—an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to attack your own organs and tissues.
Cannon’s journey with Lupus has included blood transfusions, chemotherapy, and various hospitalizations.
He now advocates for others with the condition, calling himself a “lupus warrior,” and reminding others that “health is the real wealth.”
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman has Fibromyalgia—a chronic disorder causing pain, stiffness, fatigue and depression.
In an interview with Esquire in 2012, he mentioned that his pain is “excruciating,” particularly up and down his arm.
He believes it originated from a near-fatal car crash in 2008 that resulted in paralysis in his left hand.
Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana had mentioned in an interview that she has Hashimoto’s Thydoiditis—an autoimmune disease.
Both her mother and sister are also affected by this condition. As a result of the condition, she experiences fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, and calcium deficiencies, and more.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
At age 20, Jamie-Lynn Sigler was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)—a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerve cells in the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord, called the myelin sheath.
It took the actress years to come to terms with her diagnosis, and didn’t always abide by her treatment plan or be honest with her doctors—which she now says may have caused her disease to progress quicker.
She now knows how important her support system is, and actively works to manage her disease.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Flickr
Pink
Pink suffers from Asthma—a condition in which your airways narrow and swell and may produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing fits.
Pink says she trains for concerts by singing while on the treadmill, so she can manage her breathing while she sings and performs actively on stage.
George Clooney
George Clooney suffers from Chronic Pain—long standing pain that persists beyond the usual recovery period or occurs along with a chronic health condition, such as arthritis. Chronic pain may be "on" and "off" or continuous.
Clooney spoke in 2012 about an accident had led to his struggle with chronic pain. He says the biggest hurdle is psychological—he has to come to terms with knowing he will never feel “good” again, and that most days he will wake up feeling like he has “the worst hangover ever.”
Matteo Chinellato, Shutterstock
Jack Osborne
Jack Osborne has Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and his biggest symptom has been depression. He says his depression often “comes out of nowhere” and really knocks him down.
While he does experience a slew of other symptoms, he says the mental and psychological side of it all is the worst part.
Padma Lakshmi
Padma Lakshmi has Endometriosis—a painful condition that causes tissue to outside the uterus.
Lakshmi had apparently had symptoms for decades, but didn’t realize she was any different than other girls. That is, until she was 36 years old and suffered from a medical event that led to surgery.
Lakshmi has since co-founded EndoFound (The Endometriosis Foundation of America) which strives to increase recognition, provide advocacy, facilitate surgical training, and fund research.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks had battled high blood sugar numbers for quite some time, until one day his doctor revealed that he “graduated to Type 2 Diabetes.”
Hanks admits his diagnosis was expected and likely from his unhealthy eating patterns. He had been warned by his doctor that he was “pre-diabetic” for years, but ignored the red flags.
He has since changed his lifestyle to manage the disease.
Christy Turlington
Former supermodel Christy Turlington discovered she had Emphysema only after being screened for the disease after the passing of her father. Though she was no longer a smoker at the time, the damage to her lungs was irreversible.
Emphysema is a kind of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that causes shortness of breath at physical exertion, a chronic cough, increased mucous, wheezing and fatigue.
Miro Vrlik Photography, Shutterstock
Melanie Griffith
Melanie Griffith was diagnosed with Epilepsy after a scary incident on a boat, where she experienced a grand mal seizure and was taken to hospital. After returning back to the boat, she had another seizure which landed her back in the ER.
Her seizures are mostly triggered by severe stress. She managed her condition with medication, but had finally become seizure-free after divorcing her husband of 18 years—Antonio Banderas—which she claims was “the real healer.”
Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey has Bipolar Disorder—a mental health condition characterized by intense mood swings.
Carey lived with her disorder behind closed doors for many years as she was afraid of what people would think of her.
Eventually, she got the courage to seek help, and was able to get back to the life she loved—writing songs and making music.
Filipe Vicente / Setor VIP, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty struggles with Crohn's Disease— a chronic inflammatory condition that causes persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramping and other digestive problems.
"There's nothing sexy about women saying: 'I've got to go to the bathroom right now,'" Doherty reportedly told interviewers. Although she takes medication to curb her symptoms, she says some days are just awful.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams opened up about her battle with depression on Mental Health Awareness Day in 2018.
She wrote a memoir about it, called “Checking In: How Getting Real About Depression Saved My Life — and Can Save Yours,” where she opens up about thoughts of ending her own life, struggles with friends and family, and lessons she’s learned about prioritizing her mental health.
Bruce Willis
In 2023, Bruce William publicly shared his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis—which overtime disrupts a person’s ability to think, care for themselves, and live independently.
In 2022, he made his official departure from Hollywood as he was experiencing a disorder called aphasia—which is a symptom of FTD.
Although his health is deteriorating, Willis is “continuing to do well,” according to a recent update in May 2024 from his daughter Rumer.
Caroline Bonarde Ucci, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at the age of 22, after suffering for years with addiction and eating disorders.
Since finally receiving treatment, Lovato has become an advocate for “Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health.”
jenniferlinneaphotography, Flickr
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps revealed that after the Olympic games, he would fall into a deep depression, often leading to serious thoughts of ending his own life.
It started back in 2004, when he was photographed with substance paraphernalia, and was apprehended for driving while drinking. This then led to self-medicating.
Since seeking treatment, Phelps opened up the Michael Phelps Foundation, and now works to provide children with stress management programs.
Gregg Allman
Back in 1999, Rocker, Gregg Allman was diagnosed with Hepatitis C—a "silent" condition that slowly deteriorates the liver and can eventually lead to cirrhosis, or a scarring of the liver.
He believes he contracted the disease while getting a tattoo when he was in his 20s. It took years of chronic fatigue before he was finally diagnosed.
He underwent a liver transplant in 2010 after drug therapy failed to slow the disease's progression. However, he did recover from the transplant and has since become a spokesperson for Tune into Hep C, an organization to raise awareness about chronic hepatitis C, which currently affects 3.2 million Americans.
Sterling Munksgard, Shutterstock
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande opened up in 2018 about her struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after the terror attack that took place at her concert in Manchester in 2017. The attack resulted in 22 people losing their lives and over 100 people severely injured—including children.
Grande reportedly said, “that was one of the best years of my career, but the worst year of my life.”
Tia Mowry
Tia Mowry was diagnosed with Endometriosis in her late 20s, after years of struggling with pain, but being misdiagnosed by her doctors—which is very common with this condition.
Mowry opened up about feeling so alone for many years while no one believed the extent of her pain.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones has been diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder, which is classified by longer low periods. Her episodes are said to be triggered by stress—which only came to head when her husband, Michael Douglas, was battling stage IV throat cancer.
In 2011, Zeta-Jones checked into a mental health facility, and has been actively seeking help regularly since then.
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels, the lead singer of Poison, was only 6 years old when he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.
Michaels is an advocate for the American Diabetes Association. In fact, when he won The Celebrity Apprentice in 2010, he pledged his full $250,000 award to the nonprofit organization.
