All the celebrities that have been diagnosed with disease that appears to be taking over Hollywood stars
In recent years, countless huge-name stars have come forward about their diagnoses of this particular condition.
So much so that, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, recent estimates suggest that approximately 476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for the disease in question each year in the US alone.
It's no surprise, therefore, that a plethora of A-listers have fallen victim to it, including Serena Williams' hubby Alexis Ohanian, who this week opened up about his health diagnosis.
Advert
The condition we are talking about is Lyme disease - which is a 'bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks'.
When asked why it seems to be targeting some of the world's biggest stars in particular, Professor Hunter told MailOnline earlier this week, that the celebs increased leisure time and greater access to wilder outdoor areas where ticks reside could simply make it a larger possibility.
As we consider these possibilities, let's take a look at just which stars have been dealt the life-altering diagnoses in recent years:
Justin Bieber
Fans were devastated to hear that the 'Baby' singer would be taking a break from the music industry back in 2020 following a diagnosis of Lyme disease.
In the months prior to the announcement, Bieber came under vast health speculation after fans noticed his facial appearance had somewhat altered as a result of the swelling.
"While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like s**t, on meth etc. they failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health," he later wrote in an Instagram post.
"It's been a rough couple years but [I’m] getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever."
Bella Hadid
Along with her 'momager' mother Yolanda, international supermodel Bella Hadid contracted the Lyme disease back in 2012, when she was just 16-years-old.
Reported by Elle in the years to follow, Bella first began experiencing symptoms associated with the disease, like difficulty walking and joint pain, before enduring severe nausea.
And apparently, she still bares some of the brunt of the disease 12 years on, including fatigue and swelling - which she shared in a health document on Instagram.
So much so, that in a TikTok posted earlier this year, Hadid claimed she often hates 'looking in the mirror or taking pictures'.
Shania Twain
The country music star came down with the condition 21 years ago, after being bitten by a tick whilst horse-riding.
Reflecting on her diagnosis on her 2023 Netflix documentary Not Just A Girl, the 'Man, I Feel Like a Woman' singer admitted: "My symptoms were quite scary because before I was diagnosed, I was on stage very dizzy.
"I was losing my balance, I was afraid I was gonna fall off the stage… I was having these very, very, very millisecond blackouts, but regularly, every minute or every 30 seconds."
The disease also affected her voice, leading the chart-topper to temporarily fear she'd never sing again.
Avril Lavigne
The 'Sk8er Boi' hitmaker suffered such severe symptoms of the disease after being diagnosed back in 2014 following her 30th birthday, that she later claimed she was left bed-bound for around two years.
Speaking to Billboard magazine four years later, she claimed she still battles the prolonged symptoms on a daily basis.
"I’m achy, I’m fatigued, I cannot get the f*ck out of bed — what the f*ck is wrong with me?" she asked.
Revealing it actually took several months for doctors to officially make their diagnosis - being that some symptoms are reminiscent of other, more common illnesses - she said she only felt comfortable to perform again in 2018.
She wrote on her personal website that year: "Having gone through the battle of my lifetime, I’m stronger than ever and looking forward to sharing my renewed voice and energy for my life with my fans through this new music."
Alec Baldwin
Over 20 years ago, the actor broke the news that he'd been bitten by a tick and subsequently diagnosed with the harrowing disease, which - in 2021 - he claimed left him bedridden.
Recalling the incident which changed his life forever, the Beetlejuice actor said in a podcast interview: "August of one summer I was standing on my friend’s porch at night, and it was a cool evening — it wasn’t a hot, steamy evening — and I felt literally this wave go over my back and over my shoulders and kind of wrap around me like a chill.
"And I got just attacked. It came like someone snapped their fingers and put a spell on me."
Though he says the cold sweats he endured in the years that followed have somewhat subsided, the actor says that he still battles 'inexplicable' joint pain on a daily basis.
Kelly Osbourne
The UK socialite fought the undiagnosed disease for several years, often relying on painkillers to get through the way.
It was only when her symptoms escalated to include a seizure in 2013 that a practitioner diagnosed her with 'stage 3 neurological Lyme disease'.
According to her 2017 memoir, The Is No F*cking Secret, Kelly found the news to be bittersweet.
"I was relieved to finally know what was going on,” she confessed. "But I was also scared s**tless."
The star has since gone on to receive stem cell therapy, in the hope that the treatment will 'strengthen my immune system so my body could fight off and get rid of the disease on its own'.
Ben Stiller
The Night At The Museum actor first spoke of his condition back in 2011, claiming he contracted the condition whilst holidaying in Nantucket in the years prior.
"My knee became inflamed and they couldn’t figure out what it was, then they found out it was Lyme," he told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
"I’m symptom-free now, but Lyme doesn’t ever leave your system. It’s a really tough thing."
Who else?
As we say, countless other stars have opened up about their terrifying health battles in recent years.
Real Housewives of New York City star Ramona Singer claimed in 2020 that she was 'very lucky and very blessed' to have caught the condition early, and was able to start immediate treatment.
Independent film actress Parker Posey's Lyme disease symptoms reached such an extent following her 2009 diagnosis that she was forced to withdraw from a pretty impressive starring movie role as a result - though she now claims holistic interventions had assisted in her recovery.
US singer Fletcher was also diagnosed in 2023, revealing at the time that the disease had been affecting hevocal cords, forcing her to postpone tours in Europe and Australia.
Comedian Amy Schumer broke the news in a lighthearted Instagram post in 2020 with a childhood snap, captioning it: "Anyone get LYME this summer? I got it and I’m on doxycycline. I have maybe had it for years. Any advice? Can you have a glass of wine or 2 on it? I know to stay out of the sun."
Daisy Jones and the Six frontwoman Riley Keough broke news of her diagnosis the same year, telling Vanity Fair that, while she can carry children, her Lyme disease led her to have her daughter via surrogate.
80s singer Debbie Gibson's experience of food sensitivities in 2013 resulted in her Lyme disease diagnosis, though she told People in 2021 that she'd 'come to a place where I’ve learned to expect the unexpected with my health, but I know I can get through it'.
And the most recent celeb to reveal their diagnosis has been tech executive Alexis Ohanian, who broke the news in a Twitter statement that read: "Doing a full battery of health scans, tests, etc, and found out I have lyme disease. Wild."
Topics: Health, TV And Film, US News, UK News, Celebrity
Rhianna Benson