While some people tend to think that celebrities have a perfect life, it’s not always the case. Life threatening diseases can strike any person regardless of their status in society, age or even physical strength. This list of 12 Hollywood celebrities who were diagnosed with life threatening diseases will help you understand how some of your favorite stars had to fight illnesses and try to get back to health in order to live up to their potential.
Hollywood celebrities are rich, famous, and successful but they are still just human beings and they are not immune to getting sick or having an accident that changes their lives forever. Some of the most popular Hollywood stars have been diagnosed with diseases that put their lives in danger and some of them even died because of their illness.
Here’s our list of 12 Hollywood celebrities who were diagnosed with life threatening diseases.
1. Selena Gomez- Lupus
Diagnosed in 2013, Selena Gomez announced that she would be taking time off from work to deal with her lupus. The disease is an autoimmune disease, which means it occurs when your immune system attacks healthy tissue instead of viruses and bacteria. Symptoms can include fatigue, fevers, joint pain and loss of organ function. It is often hard to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other diseases. Typically, those diagnosed are women between 15 and 40 years old.
2) Bella Hadid- Lyme Disease
Bella Hadid and her boyfriend, The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), canceled a scheduled performance at The Meadows Music & Arts Festival in New York on Saturday due to health concerns. At first, both Hadid and Tesfaye said that they wouldn’t be able to perform because of unforeseen travel issues. But fans started speculating that their absence had something to do with their singer-model girlfriend Bella’s bout with Lyme disease.
3) Selma Blair- Multiple Sclerosis
Actress Selma Blair suffers from multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of which there is no known cure. MS affects her balance and vision; however, it does not affect her ability to work or spend time with her children. She has become an active advocate for multiple sclerosis, serving as a spokeswoman for Medicines Company to promote healthy living.
4) Nick Jonas- Type 1 Diabetes
Nick Jonas was first diagnosed at age 13. He had been complaining of fatigue and frequent urination, but his mother didn’t recognize these symptoms as signs of diabetes. ‘I was naive because I knew nothing about diabetes or Type 1’, he said in an interview.
5) Micheal J Fox- Parkinson’s Disease
Many people are familiar with Parkinson’s disease because of Michael J. Fox. The actor and filmmaker was diagnosed at age 30, and he has become a vocal advocate for research into finding a cure for PD. Thankfully, Parkinson’s disease can be treated in a number of ways, including through medication to improve symptoms and lifestyle changes to help slow its progression.
6) Morgan Freeman- Fibromyalgia
Freeman was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2010. The condition causes widespread pain, fatigue and morning stiffness that is typically worse than any other time of day. Freeman also has arthritis, but it’s unrelated to his fibromyalgia diagnosis. He’s since become an advocate for raising awareness about both conditions.
7) Lady Gaga- Fibromyalgia
Lady Gaga has been vocal about her struggle with Fibromyalgia. A chronic disease that causes widespread muscle pain and tenderness. The fatigue and widespread pain can also impact mental health, making people feel depressed and anxious. Symptoms are often worse following periods of physical or emotional stress. Fatigue is a major symptom and can lead to problems sleeping. Some fibromyalgia patients also experience migraines, tingling or numbness in their hands and feet, poor balance, sexual dysfunction (in both men and women), digestive problems, bladder issues and headaches.
8) Gina Rodriquez- Hashimoto Disease
This disease is an autoimmune disorder that targets your thyroid. Gina Rodriquez, better known as Jane from Jane The Virgin has been very open about her illness and how it’s affected her health. According to Rodriquez, she was in a cloud of depression and tiredness for over 6 months and went to many doctors to figure out what was wrong before being correctly diagnosed. However, today she takes medication daily and feels a lot better than she did when first diagnosed.
9) Sarah Hayland- Kidney Dysplasia
Sarah was born in Manhattan, New York and is best known for her role as Hailey Dunphy in the Modern Family. Although she’s acting career has not been as prolific as some of her fellow co-stars, Sarah has acted in over 20 films throughout her career, including being a primary character in Geek Charming. Kidney Dysplasia is when one or both kidneys are abnormally small or malformed, which can lead to kidney failure.
10) Val Kilmer- Throat Cancer
While filming Batman Forever, Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer. Since then, he’s had multiple surgeries to remove polyps from his vocal cords. It has since been said that Val never took care of himself and his smoking and drinking habits lead to throat cancer. Nowadays he is a non-smoker and almost teetotaler. Through his ordeal, Val lost over 20 pounds of muscle mass but remains a huge celebrity in Hollywood to date.
11) Melanie Griffith- Epilepsy
After she was born, Melanie’s mother noticed that her eyes moved quickly and she became nauseous easily. Griffith went to numerous doctors to find out what was wrong with her daughter, but no one had an answer. Then, when Griffith was four years old, a neurologist finally diagnosed her with epilepsy. She has since been put on medication for epilepsy and it has given her more energy and awareness throughout her day-to-day life.
12) Wendy Williams- Grave’s Disease
Television personality Wendy Williams is best known for her work on The Wendy Williams Show, which aired weekday afternoons on FOX and then syndicated in over 60 markets. After just a few years on air, her name became synonymous with daytime talk shows and she became a household name. But it wasn’t always that way. Before her rise to fame, Williams was diagnosed with Grave’s disease (hyperthyroidism), a condition that affects as many as 10 million Americans each year. Thankfully, Williams was able to overcome her illness and return to television. She has since become an advocate for early detection of Grave’s disease and other illnesses affecting millions of people around the world every day.
The Bottom Line
It’s been said that you never really know someone until you walk in their shoes, but sometimes the stars seem so distant and untouchable, it’s hard to imagine what they might be experiencing deep down inside. However, every now and then it becomes necessary to take a look at our idols in a different light and see how they deal with major life challenges just like we do. We have put together the above list of 12 Hollywood celebrities who were diagnosed with life threatening diseases to give you an inside look at what the rich and famous really think about their diagnoses.