Justin Timberlake is said to be ‘prioritising his health’ after revealing a battle with a bacterial infection that’s common among A-listers.
On 30 July, the 44-year-old said farewell to his Forget Tomorrow World Tour with a special gig in Istanbul, Turkey.
Days later, he revealed that he’d been suffering behind the scenes with a disease that celebrities like Justin Bieber, Kelly Osbourne, and Bella Hadid have also faced complications from.
In a statement, Timberlake said he didn’t want his fans to ‘feel bad’ for him’, but instead wanted to ‘shed some light’ on what he’d been up against ‘behind the scenes’.
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He explained that he’d contracted an insect-borne illness which caused him to make a decision between ending the tour prematurely or keep going and ‘figure it out’.
During the height of the infection he would be onstage ‘in a massive amount of nerve pain, or just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness’, he claimed.
"I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease," the father-of-two disclosed.
Lyme disease, also known as Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks.
Easy to treat if discovered early enough, the illness is known for causing flu-like symptoms, as well as severe joint pain, and neurological issues.
Timberlake admitted he was ‘shocked’ when he first got his diagnosis, which he described as ‘relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically’.
Now, in a new health update, a source told People that the ‘SexyBack’ star is ‘doing okay’.
They added that his wife, actress Jessica Biel, is being ‘supportive’ of his recovery.
"Justin seems to be doing okay. He's prioritising his health after the gruelling tour and Lyme disease diagnosis," they alleged.
"Jess is supportive. She wants him healthy."
The Social Network actor is just one of the myriad of celebrities who have been infected with Lyme disease, with Bieber, 31, describing his experience with it as ‘rough’.
Meanwhile Osbourne, 41, who came clean about the illness in her memoir, There’s No F***ng Secret: Letter From a Bada** B**ch, was diagnosed in 2004.
"I don’t understand how anyone could think that the life you have to live with Lyme disease is glamorous," she wrote.
"I’ve learned to advocate for myself when it comes to my health, and I trust my intuition. If I think something is wrong, I refuse to let anyone dismiss it. And sadly, I stay the f**k away from reindeer."
LADbible Group has previously contacted representatives of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel for comment.
Topics: Justin Timberlake, Celebrity, Health, Lyme disease
Ella Scott