Multiple celebrities, including Bella Hadid and Riley Keough, have spoken up about their experiences with Lyme disease. The tick-borne illness impacts more than 476,000 people in the US every year, and it’s symptoms can be extremely debilitating. Now, Justin Timberlake has added his voice to the chorus of those speaking out about the difficult diagnosis.
Revealing his recent Lyme disease diagnosis, Timberlake said that while he was initially hesitant to share his health battles with fans, he decided to do so in the hopes that it would shed light on the reality of living with the illness.
“I was reluctant to talk about this because I was always raised to keep something like this to yourself. But I am trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted,” he wrote in the Instagram post.
While the disease isn’t yet acknowledged as a notifiable condition in Australia (due to Australian ticks not carrying the disease) this doesn’t mean that there aren’t thousands of Australians also suffering from the disease as well – but unfortunately, the disease is still largely misunderstood.
Of course, the more education about Lyme disease that we have, the better – and celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Bella Hadid and Riley Keough are leading the way.
So what exactly is Lyme disease? Here’s everything you need to understand about the illness, including those who’ve spoken out about what it means to experience its symptoms.
What Is Lyme Disease?
According to NSW Health, Lyme disease is caused by a tick-borne infection from the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.
Symptoms of the disease can include flu-like characteristics, such as fever, headaches, sore muscles and joints, as well as inflammation, but usually begins with a pink or red rash at the site of the tick bite, and spreads to a “bulls-eye appearance called erythema migrans.”
If left untreated, Lyme disease can spread through the bloodstream and lead to infection in the brain, and in or around the heart, as well as long-term neurological symptoms.
The species of ticks known to carry Borrelia are most commonly found in areas of northern Asia, Europe and the U.S, and even though related ticks occur in Australia, “these have not been shown to be infected with Lyme disease Borrelia bacteria.”
10 Celebrities With Lyme Disease
Below, ten celebrities you probably didn’t know had Lyme disease and what they’ve said about living with the illness.
Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake has joined the growing list of celebrities who’ve been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Revealing his diagnosis in a post thanking his fans for their support over the past two years, he spoke about the ups and downs he’s experienced while on the road for his two-year tour.
“I want to tell you a little bit about what’s going on with me,” he wrote, before sharing details about his battle with the disease.
“I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease – which I don’t say so you feel bad for me – but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes. If you’ve experienced this disease or know someone who has – then you’re aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.
“When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling fatigue or sickness. I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out,” he continued, before adding: “I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”
Expressing his gratitude for the outpouring of support he’s received in light of the news, Timberlake said that it was his intention to use his diagnosis to help others experiencing the disease.
Riley Keough
Riley Keough has also opened up about her struggles with Lyme Disease to Vanity Fair magazine, explaining it’s one of the reason’s she chose surrogacy.
“I can carry children, but it felt like the best choice for what I had going on physically with the autoimmune stuff,” Keough told the publication in August, 2023.
Keough also revealed that she has undergone treatment to “try and see if I can alleviate it a bit. It’s a holistic treatment center and offers all kinds of things that you can’t really do in America yet, like cleaning your blood.”
Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid has been open about her struggles with Lyme disease since she acquired the illness as a teenager. Taking to social media to spread awareness of the disease, Hadid shared a vulnerable post on Instagram detailing her almost 17 year journey with the illness.
“Living in this state, worsening with time and work while trying to make myself, my family and the people who support me, proud, had taken a toll on me in ways I can’t really explain,” Bella wrote on Instagram, alongside a series of photographs of her with IV drips and undergoing medical treatment.
“I have so much gratitude for and perspective on life , this 100+ days of Lyme, chronic disease , co infection treatment, almost 15 years of invisible suffering, was all worth it if I’m able to, God willing, have a lifetime of spreading love from a full cup, and being able to truly be myself, for the first time ever.”
Bella’s mother, Yolanda Hadid, and brother, Anwar Hadid, have the disease as well.
Shania Twain
Shania Twain first contracted Lyme disease in 2023 while horseback riding. The singer has spoken openly about the disease’s impact on her vocal cords, which eventually required two open-throat surgeries to allow her to sing again.
“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,” she shared in her Netflix documentary Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl. “I was having these very, very, very millisecond blackouts, but regularly, every minute or every 30 seconds,” and then she thought, “I’d lost my voice forever.”
Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo revealed he had Lyme disease in 2017, when he posted about it on Twitter. The Incredible Hulk star wrote, “Lyme disease sucks, I know.” When another Twitter user replied, “I’m finally treating my Lyme after more than a decade. It has altered my entire life,” Ruffalo commented, “Me too.”
Ruffalo has since released a documentary about Lyme disease titled The Quiet Epidemic. He’s described his experience with the disease as “brutal, persistent and misdiagnosed.”
Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne opened up about her experience with Lyme disease in a 2015 interview with People, when she revealed it kept her “bedridden for five months,” and sometimes not showering for weeks because she “could barely stand.”
The singer even started her own foundation for people suffering from serious illness and disabilities (with a focus on those with Lyme disease) in 2010.
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer took to Instagram in 2020 with a update on her health.
“Anyone get LYME this summer? I got it and I’m on doxycycline,” Schumer wrote. “I have maybe had it for years. Any advice? Can you have a glass of wine or 2 on it? I feel good and am excited to get rid of it.”
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller discussed his experience with Lyme disease during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2011.
“My knee became inflamed and they couldn’t figure out what it was, then they found out it was Lyme,” Stiller said. “I’m symptom-free now, but Lyme doesn’t ever leave your system. It’s a really tough thing.”
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber first revealed that he had Lyme disease via a now-deleted Instagram post, which read: “While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like sh*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.”
“It’s been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever.”
Since then, Bieber has been diagnosed with facial paralysis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which is linked to Lyme disease.
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne contracted Lyme disease in 2004, when she was bitten by a tick at her dad’s outdoor birthday party. The illness lead to a decade-long suffering with sore throats, stomach-aches and seizures.
“The doctors kept changing my prescription, trying to get the dosage right, and it turned me into a zombie,” she wrote a book excerpt published in US Weekly. “You know in movies where a mental patient sits in a rocking chair in a cardigan and nightgown and stares at a wall all day? That was me.”
“I had started entering my symptoms into online quizzes, and the results kept coming back Lyme disease.
“I got tested. The results were positive: I had stage III neurological Lyme disease. I was relieved to finally know what was going on, but I was also scared s—tless.”
