Celebrities Who Are Living Their Best Life...with Chronic Illness
Top celebs who are also fighting for their health.
After hearing the devastating diagnosis, these celebrities did not despair and continued to fight, speaking frankly about their condition to their fans.
Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme disease, an infectious condition carried by ixodid ticks, in 2012, but it wasn’t until 2015 that she began experiencing symptoms. Curiously, Bella's brother Anwar and mother Yolanda also have Lyme disease, even though it's not a genetic condition. The main symptoms include chronic fatigue, constant headaches, low-grade fever and joint pains. Bella often talks about how hard it can be to act normally and how few people have any idea how much effort it often takes her to just get out of bed.
David Beckham
In 2009, the world learned that famous footballer David Beckham had asthma: he used an inhaler while sitting on the bench during a game. For a long time, asthma meant an end to your career if you were an athlete. David has had it since childhood, but he kept it a secret. His agent later said it was amazing that David had kept it private for so long.
Selena Gomez
In 2014, Selena Gomez took a break from her career. Fans had no idea what was going on. But then Selena decided to reveal to the world that she had to undergo serious treatment after being diagnosed with lupus, a severe autoimmune condition. At one point, she was on the verge of a stroke and then had to have a kidney transplant. Lady Gaga and Seal also have lupus.
Michael J. Fox
The Back to the Future star was diagnosed with Parkinson's at 29. Michael initially tried to ignore the symptoms and keep his condition private, as his career was in full swing, but the situation soon began getting out of hand. Hiding his Parkinson’s was no longer an option, so he opened up about it first to his colleagues and then to his fans. Michael later noted that his condition helped him reign in his raging alcoholism.
Kim Kardashian
A few years ago, the world learned that Kim Kardashian has psoriasis, a chronic skin condition. She went public with it on air during a family reality show, saying she was the only child in her family to inherit the condition from her mother. She had her first psoriasis outbreak at 25. Other celebrities who also have psoriasis include Britney Spears and Cara Delevingne.