Celebs Living With Chronic Conditions

Published

5 years ago

March 8, 2020

Money + Investing Staff

You don’t often think of the celebrities and how they could be affected by long-term illnesses or conditions.But they are just as susceptible to health struggles as we all are.

Here is a list of A-List stars that cope everyday with chronic illnesses or other medical conditions.

George Clooney

It was recently revealed that Clooney suffered pancreatitis after losing 28 pounds for his role in his newest movie, The Midnight Sky. The onset likely came from rapid weight loss, and it’s uncertain what effect it may have on the actor, as the disease tends to vary person to person.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has bipolar II disorder, which means she has mood swings that go between euphoria and depression. She’s had successful treatment over the years and has since been open about her disorder. Still, it must be a struggle to be an actress when you’re battling your own moods every day!

Alec Baldwin

Though not widely known, Alec Baldwin suffers from chronic Lyme disease. The actor doesn’t talk about it very often, but he has admitted that “At the same time of year, I get really tired.”

Kristen Bell

The popular actress has openly talked about her struggles with anxiety and depression, and as time’s gone on, mental health has actually become a topic Kristen Bell’s an activist for. She’s outlined her practices to help combat these diseases, and hopes to help others who feel similar.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga has a disease called synovitis. It is an inflammation of the synovial membrane, which is the soft tissue that sits between the joint capsule and the joint cavity. It causes extremely painful joints, and can therefore make it very difficult to move when you’re showing symptoms. Thankfully Lady Gaga is a trooper, and doesn’t let her pain control her life or her career.

Tom Hanks

Like nearly 29 million others in America, Tom Hanks suffers from Type 2 Diabetes, and some believe this was caused by his aggressive health transformations for different roles. After learning his condition would require his high school weightl, he realized he’d have to live with it.

Gisele Bündchen

It may surprise you that supermodels suffer from diseases too, but Gisele Bündchen revealed she suffers from panic attacks due to anxiety and depression. Living the fast life, Bündchen’s hectic life and expectations caused here to feel trapped, but she dealt with it with yoga, better dieting and took more time to herself.

Morgan Freeman

Royalty or not, he still suffers from regular, every-day issues that you might not have known about. Morgan Freeman was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which means he suffers from chronic pain in his joints.

Michael Phelps

Olympic gold medalist and world renowned swimmer Michael Phelps surprisingly suffers from Marfan syndrome, which weakens the body’s connective tissue, causing muscular, vascular and arterial problems. While it’s dangerous, its characteristics also are the reason behind his success, as tall thin body, flexible joints, and long arms and legs are just some visible indicators.

Kristin Chenoweth

Tiny Broadway beauty Kristin Chenoweth actually suffers from asthma, though you’d never know it from hearing her sing. Despite her airway issues, she seems to have no problems belting out the notes–high OR low!

Halsey

Halsey admitted recently that she struggles with bipolar disorder, which explains her album title, Manic. She was diagnosed as a teenager, and has spotlighted the issue, trying to speak out against the negative rhetoric surrounding the disease. She encourages others to speak positively and consider empathy rather than stigmatizing the condition.

Cher

She’s not as indestructible as you might think. Cher has been suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) since 1991. ME is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and it causes intense and prolonged fatigue in people. It can be extremely detrimental to someone like Cher, who is always busy and active. But she’s a trooper!

David Beckham

David Beckham isn’t just a perfectionist on the field – he also literally suffers from OCD, and admitted he would rearrange hotel rooms and various items to make “everything perfect. He’s apparently incredibly precise, but stigma around obsessive compulsive disorder shouldn’t be overlooked.

Daisy Ridley

Rising actress and Star Wars star Daisy Ridley has been vocal about her struggle with endometriosis, which is chronic condition in which tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body. Her overall message is to look out for your body!

Pete Davidson

Many people may not know that Pete Davidson suffers from Crohn’s disease, which is an autoimmune bowel disease that caused him massive stomach pains and inflammation that he combatted with an unlikely treatment – marijuana. While there isn’t a cure yet, it’s important that patients follow their doctor’s treatments.

Winnie Harlow

Winnie Harlow suffers from one of the most visible skin diseases in vitiligo, which causes white patches around the body. But that didn’t stop her from becoming a model, and she’s helped bring awareness to the condition. While it’s still autoimmune and has no cure, most that have it just embrace it like Harlow.

Paula Deen

In her younger years, Paula Deen struggled with depression and agoraphobia. She fought her battles against those demons for a solid two decades; she claims to have found her serenity through her cooking, and it’s a good thing, too! Her cooking shows have become a majorly successful business for her.

Zoe Saldana

Saldana struggles with an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which you can tell by the name, affects the thyroid and thereby lessens the hormones generated for heart rate, temperature, and digestive system, among others, from being satisfactory. A lifelong daily medication is the only treatment as of now.

Dan Reynolds

Lead singer of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds, suffers from a rare autoimmune disease called ankylosing spondylitis, which causes an inflammatory sort of arthritis, leading to pain and swollen joints. After revealing his condition on stage, he partnered with ThisASLife to help spread awareness.

Ariana Grande

One of the most overlooked aspects of Ariana Grande’s massive personality is her PTSD. Grande still gets flashbacks from the suicide bombings that took place in Manchester and left 22 dead, and the healing that followed. It was a traumatic terrorist event, so it’s unsurprising she was diagnosed.

Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid is a blossoming model that has a bright future ahead, but she also has Lyme disease, causing her to get headaches, thyroid dysfunction, and inflammation, among other things. The bacterial infection spread by ticks only arose in 2012, but has effects that can last for years.

Gigi Hadid

Model and sister to Bella, Gigi Hadid suffers from her own condition – Hashimoto’s disease, which has caused her to deal with weight fluctuations and inflammation. She’s had to be vigilant in dismissing the body shamers who don’t understand, but she’s become a young face for the uncertain autoimmune disease.

Bill Clinton

The former U.S. President Bill Clinton has had his troubles with heart disease.Roughly 10 years ago he underwent a quadruple bypass surgery.After the surgery, in 2010 there was an emergency surgery procedure to unclog an artery.

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman has dealt with skin cancer four different times. He has described the experience as shocking and humbling. He attributes his contraction of the disease to being an Australian and never wearing sunscreen growing up.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry suffers from type 2 diabetes, which means her body is unable to produce the amount of insulin it needs to process sugar into energy. She is often chronically tired because of this condition. Berry controls her disorder through daily insulin injections and a special diet.

Seal

The scars on Seal’s face aren’t actually from any kind of tragedy or childhood fight. The scars are from a form of lupus called discoid lupus erythematosus. This type of lupus affects the skin (and sometimes the scalp). It can also sometimes leave people sensitive to ultraviolet light.

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne suffers from epilepsy, which means he’s very prone to seizures. The rapper was hospitalized for an entire week after suffering 3 consecutive seizures. Since then he’s had to tone down his partying and overworking himself to help prevent another seizure. It’s definitely a lifestyle change!

Bret Michaels

The famous rock singer has a literal hole in his heart. In 2010, the Poison singer was diagnosed with a heart disease called patent foramen ovale, or PFO. After suffering from numbness on the right side of his body, Michaels was admitted to the hospital, where doctors were able to diagnose his problem. He also suffers from diabetes.

Sarah Hyland

Sarah Hyland has kidney dysplasia. The Modern Family actress had a kidney transplant in 2012 to replace her underdeveloped kidney, and her father was the donor. Since then, Sarah still struggles with her health. She even had to miss the 2017 SAG ceremony due to an illness.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus revealed in her autobiography “Miles to Go” that she has a condition called tachycardia. This means that her heart rate exceeds the range of a normal resting heart rate. It isn’t life-threatening, but the singer has said that it bothers her when she performs. “There is never a time on-stage when I’m not thinking about my heart.”

Kim Kardashian

This famous Kardashian might not be as perfect as you think. Kim suffers from the skin condition psoriasis. She revealed her disease on an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2011. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that causes the skin to break out in raised bumps or scaly patches. There’s no cure, but there are several treatments available.

Nick Cannon

Entertainer Nick Cannon has had a lot of health issues recently. He suffers from the autoimmune disorder, lupus. In early 2012, he was diagnosed with lupus kidney disease, or lupus nephritis, after his knees swelled up during a vacation in Aspen, Colorado. Despite a common symptom of lupus being chronic fatigue, Nick has remained in good spirits and stays active as often as possible.

Selena Gomez

The pop singer is another famous celebrity suffering from the autoimmune disease, lupus. Selena Gomez checked into a rehab facility in 2015 to receive chemotherapy in order to treat her lupus symptoms. Today she stills struggles with fatigue and some of the other minor symptoms of her chronic illness.

Nick Jonas

You might be surprised to learn that Nick Jonas has type I diabetes. He was diagnosed at the age of 13 and uses an insulin pump. Type I makes up 5 percent of all diabetes cases. Jonas even developed the Change for Children Foundation to raise money and awareness for diabetes in children.

Robin Roberts

Robin Roberts, the news anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America, has had a few battles to deal with over her years. She battled breast cancer in 2007 and 2008, undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. In 2012 she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, which is a disease of the bone marrow. She had a bone marrow transplant in late 2012, and has been recognized for surviving the disease and the transplant.

Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson has Hepatitis C, which primarily affects the liver, and can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis. She says she got the disease after sharing a tattoo needle with her ex-husband, Tommy Lee. Although when they got married they had disease testing, Pamela says Tommy’s doctor told him he had the virus, but he failed to tell his new wife of the results. Anderson has supposedly been cured of Hepatitis C as of 2015.

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, but didn’t announce it to the public until 1998. He created the Michael J. Fox Foundation with the goal of finding a cure for Parkinson’s through research. He still does everything he can today to raise money for finding a cure.

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott suffers from Graves’ disease. It’s a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid, and is the most common cause for hyperthyroidism. Missy was diagnosed with the disease after she had such bad tremors that it caused her to crash her car. Her symptoms stabilized after she was treated.

Tiki Barber

Former football player Tiki Barber has sickle cell disease, which is a genetic blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with this disease usually require blood transfusions over the years. It can cause swollen feet and vision problems.

Venus Williams

Professional tennis athlete Venus Williams has Sjögren’s syndrome, which is another autoimmune disease that affects the moisture-producing glands of the body. It usually causes dry mouth and eyes, but it can get a lot worse, affecting major organs like the kidneys and lungs. Venus has said that she has struggled with fatigue due to the disease for years.

B. Smith

Former model and TV show host Barbara Smith, AKA B. Smith, has Alzheimer’s disease. She was diagnosed with the early-onset version of the disease in 2014. She is keeping a positive outlook on her situation, however. “I think the future’s going to be fine. I’m going to do my best to make it work out for me, and for as many people that I can possibly help, too.”

Jillian Michaels

Personal trainer and TV personality Jillian Michaels refuses to let polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis get the better of her. Endometriosis makes the uterine lining grow on other organs and tissues in the body. PCOS causes hormonal imbalances, which can and often does lead to ovarian cysts and irregular periods. It can also cause chronic pain. Jillian manages her symptoms through diet and exercise.

Demi Lovato

Singer Demi Lovato was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011. After dealing with many issues like bulimia, self-harm, and mental breakdowns, she went into rehab and came out the other end renewed. Due to her own experience with the disease, she is now a spokesperson for mental health and spreads awareness whenever she gets the chance.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler

Singer and actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler is battling multiple sclerosis. She was diagnosed when she was only 20 years old. The disease can cause blindness, muscle weakness, and issues with coordination.

Amanda Bynes

It might not come as such a surprise to you that Amanda Bynes has some serious medical issues. She’s been out of the spotlight for awhile as she battles with her bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne has revealed that she is battling lyme disease. At one point she was bedridden for five months and felt all-around terrible; she was unable to eat, talk, or move. She is currently working on her recovery and moving forward with her life.

Toni Braxton

The R&B singer was diagnosed with Lupus and APS at only 15 years old. Toni’s uncle died from the disease. Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. It’s a chronic condition for which there is no cure. Braxton is living proof that even though she has to live a little differently than she would without the disease, she is still fully functioning and able to live her dreams.

Jack Osbourne

The son of Ozzy and Sharon was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 26. It’s a rare disorder that affects the central nervous system, disrupting the messages between the brain and the body. It can affect the spinal cord and can ultimately cause blindness and paralysis. When Jack was diagnosed, it was just weeks after the birth of his first daughter. Luckily, he has the most common and least aggressive form of MS, so he’s able to control most of his symptoms.

Frankie Muniz

Frankie Muniz has suffered two different mini-strokes in the last 6 years. Not even 30 years old when he had them, he describes the experiences as having been “miserable.” He said with the second one that he lost vision in one eye while riding his motorcycle. Then when he tried to talk to his fiance, he thought he was saying words but he wasn’t. Sounds like a scary experience!

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