A chronic illness is an illness that spans a long period of time, from a year or two to an entire lifetime. While many chronic diseases and conditions exist, we tend not to know much about them unless we or our loved ones deal with them .
But some celebrities have used their influence to speak up about the chronic illnesses they contend with. Here are some such celebrities.
RELATED STORIES
P!nk.
P!nk has been open about having asthma in the past, and in 2020 had a health scare after contracting COVID . The singer explained that she had an asthma attack while battling COVID symptoms, which left her feeling like she could have died.
Daisy Ridley.
In 2016, Ridley opened up about suffering from both endometriosis and PCOS , which cause a great deal of pain as well as a number of other issues.
Her PCOS also caused the star to develop acne at the time.
Lady Gaga
Though she’s known for her energetic dance and vocal performances on stage, Gaga also suffers from chronic pain as a result of fibromyalgia . She first opened up about the condition in the 2017 documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two .
Selma Blair.
In 2018, Blair revealed that she has MS, a disease that causes impaired movement and balance. In her Instagram post, she wrote, “I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken gps.”
Halle Berry.
Halle Berry is a type 1 diabetic, having been diagnosed in her early 20s. It did make her feel at risk during the early days of the pandemic, stating that her house had very strict quarantining rules .
Michael J. Fox.
Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 , but didn’t make it publicly known for seven years. His experience with the disease has made it a much more well-known in the eyes of the public over the last couple of decades.
Kim Kardashian.
Kim Kardashian was diagnosed with psoriasis back in 2011. The disease, which is auto-immune, causes scaly rashes on the skin. In 2019, Kardashian also revealed that she has psoriatic arthritis , a form of arthritis that occurs as a result of psoriasis.
Cara Delevigne.
Delavigne is another celebrity who’s open about having psoriasis. She also isn’t afraid to show it off. During the 2022 MET Gala, Delavigne showed up topless and painted in gold , save for her psoriasis flare ups, which were left untouched.
Halsey.
Halsey is known for being outspoken about their health, and in 2016, posted a note to Twitter discussing their own endometriosis.
“Finding out that I had endo was the most bittersweet moment because it meant I wasn’t crazy! I wasn’t a ‘baby!’ I had every right to be feeling like the world was caving in.”
Sarah Hyland.
Hyland was born with kidney dysplasia, which occurs when the kidneys don’t develop properly in infancy and lead to issues down the road. She’s had two kidney transplants , one in 2012 with a kidney donated by her father, and one in 2017 with a kidney donated by her brother.
Selena Gomez.
Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus in 2015 , and subsequently took a break from the spotlight to undergo chemotherapy. In 2017, her lupus caused kidney complications, which required her to have a transplant . Her friend, Francia Rasia, donated the kidney.
Sam Faiers.
Faiers was diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2014 , shortly after becoming sick during the filming of Celebrity Big Brother . The diagnosis led her to become more concerned with her health and well-being, taking a more natural approach.
Nick Jonas.
Nick Jonas was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2005, at the age of 13 . “This was a scary kind of reality that I had to face, but not something where I was going to, for a single second, let it slow me down,” he said.
Venus Williams.
Williams was diagnosed with the auto-immune disease Sjogren’s in 2011 , which led her to drop out of the US Open that year. But knowing her diagnosis allowed her to get treatment, and she went on to continue playing professional tennis.
Gigi Hadid.
Gigi Hadid suffers from Hashimoto’s disease , which affects the thyroid and can cause various complications. For many, it makes it difficult to lose weight. But in Hadid’s case, the disease actually makes it difficult for her to put on weight.
Sia.
Sia has Graves’ disease, which is a condition that causes the thyroid to be hyperactive. It has a number of symptoms, including anxiety, tremors, and fatigue . Though Sia mostly keeps her image private, she did share this news with fans in 2010.
Charlie Sheen.
Sheen became open about having HIV, the chronic disease that can lead to AIDS if untreated, in 2015. “I feel like I’m carrying the torch. For a lot of folks out there that are suffering from the same thing ,” Sheen said on Good Morning America .
Shania Twain.
Shania Twain was bit by a tick in 2003, which led her to develop Lyme disease . She suffered from a number of symptoms, which led her to lose her singing abilities for a number of years.
Lil Wayne.
Lil Wayne has epilepsy, which is known to cause seizures, among other symptoms. His epilepsy caused him to have a series of fits for which he was hospitalized, meaning he’d have to cancel a show he was set to perform in Vegas in 2017.
