Celebrities don't often have a choice when it comes to sharing private information about themselves. Personal experiences can be leaked or sold to tabloids, and paparazzi cameras capture trips to the doctor or therapist. It's a culture that forces A-listers to have to be open even when they may not want to be — but these 20 stars were glad to open up about their health battles.
For some, they wanted the freedom that came with not worrying anymore about their struggles getting leaked — it was their story and they wanted to get ahead of it. For others, they opened up in the hopes that stigmas would lessen or their fans who had similar health conditions would feel less alone. Whatever the reason, these celebs are so brave for sharing their stories about their health challenges.
Selma Blair
A few years ago, Legally Blonde actress Selma Blair revealed that she'd been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis, which can affect your mobility, vision, and more. Selma has been open about her struggles on Instagram ever since. But she's also shared moments of gratitude, like when she realized that her canes have become an extension of her, offering support when she needs it.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
The Seinfeld star's breast cancer was at stage 2 when she was diagnosed in 2017, according to People magazine. Julia Louis-Dreyfus then underwent a double mastectomy and did six months of chemo. A year later, she announced that she was cancer-free, and said that the experience helped her grow even closer with her loved ones. "I mean, we were very close before, but I know how precious life is," she said.
Michael J. Fox
The Back to the Future star has been the public face of Parkinson's disease for decades. The nervous system disorder often causes tremors, slurred speech, and problems with mobility that can worsen with time. But although Michael J. Fox does struggle with some of these symptoms, he has remained a hardworking advocate for people with his disease.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez has been public about living with lupus, an autoimmune disease where your body attacks its own organs. The illness once progressed to the point where she had to have a life-saving kidney transplant, with a kidney provided by fellow actress and friend Francia Raisa. Selena called the action "the ultimate gift of life."
Sarah Hyland
Like Selena, the Modern Family star also had a kidney transplant — two actually. Sarah Hyland's kidney issues were a result of her kidney dysplasia, a condition where your kidneys don't develop fully. The double surgeries left her with scars that she now proudly shows off to remind her fans that it's no big deal to not have a "perfect" body.
Charlie Sheen
"It's a hard three letters to absorb. It's a turning point in one's life," Charlie Sheen said in 2015 when he revealed his HIV+ status. HIV is a virus that can develop into AIDS, but today's antiviral drugs help those with the disease lead full and healthy lives. "I'm a survivor," Charlie said. "I've been up, I've been down, I've been rich, I've been poor. It's another chapter in my life."
Jonathan Van Ness
Another celebrity who is open about their HIV+ status is Queer Eye for the Straight Guy star Jonathan Van Ness. He didn't always know how to share that part of himself, though. "There's a younger part in me that was scared that if I did come out with my status and talk about it, that that was going to be the only facet of me that people were going to want to talk about or think about or acknowledge," he told Self. But he ultimately decided, "If that's the only facet that people are going to see me for, that's on them, that's not on me."
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham has struggled with endometriosis, a painful condition where uterine lining grows outside the uterus. She even wound up in the hospital on the night of the 2017 Met Gala due to complications from a recent endometriosis surgery. The actress had five surgeries in the span of a year to try to treat her symptoms.
Julianne Hough
Endometriosis is incredibly common — 1 in every 10 women is diagnosed — and there are plenty of celebs to prove that. In addition to Lena Dunham, Julianne Hough has also been outspoken about having the condition. "It was sort of a relief to know that I actually had a name to the pain and that it wasn't just part of being a woman, and that I had to tough it out," she said of when she was diagnosed after years of suffering.
Tia Mowry
Tia Mowry talks about her own endometriosis in the hopes that she can help other Black women specifically. "I'd never really seen someone African-American in the public eye talking about endometriosis or their struggles with infertility. And when you don't know or see anyone else who looks like you talking about what you're going through, you feel alone and suffer in silence," she wrote for Women's Health in 2018.
Nick Jonas
Nick Jonas was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was a kid, and over the past 15 years he's figured out how to manage the disease. In 2018, he commemorated his diagnosis anniversary by tweeting that he was, "Happy & healthy. Prioritizing my physical health, working out, eating healthy & keeping my blood sugar in check. I have full control of my day-to-day life with this disease & I'm so grateful to my family & loved ones who have helped every step of the way."
Halle Berry
Halle Berry's own diabetes diagnosis in her 20s has led her to be very mindful of her children's health now that she is a mom. "I strongly believe in talking about nutrition at an early age and setting a good example," she told Marie Claire. She typically has her children avoid sugar, although she lets them indulge on special occasions, like when they're at birthday parties.
Emilia Clarke
When Emilia Clarke was starring in Game of Thrones, she had two brain aneurysms within the span of a couple of years. "With the second one, there was a bit of my brain that actually died," she said. She added that her biggest fear was losing the ability to act, but she was able to recover and has so far been in the clear since.
Lil Wayne
As someone with epilepsy, Lil Wayne has had to cancel shows before due to his seizures. Sometimes he even has to be hospitalized. After a particularly bad incident in 2013, he said, "This isn't my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh seizure. I've had a bunch of seizures, ya'll just never hear about them."
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, both have psoriasis, which is primarily a skin condition that can cause itchy, scaly spots to appear. Kim has at times had it develop into psoriatic arthritis, which mimics the symptoms of arthritis, making it difficult and painful for her to do things like pick up her phone.
To manage things, Kim has said that she tries to minimize her stress and eat well. "If you have psoriasis, you can't let it ruin your life or get the best of you. You have to do what you can to make sure you are comfortable but not let it take over," she said on her sister Kourtney Kardashian's website Poosh.
Sia
Singer Sia has been open about several of her health issues, including having Grave's disease, which is a thyroid issue, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes weakened connective tissues. On Instagram a couple of years ago she wrote, "Hey, I'm suffering with chronic pain, a neurological disease, Ehlers-Danlos, and I just wanted to say to those of you suffering from pain, whether physical or emotional, I love you, keep going. Life is f—ing hard. Pain is demoralizing, and you're not alone."
Mariah Carey
Several years ago, the singer opened up to People magazine about dealing with bipolar disorder. "Until recently, I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me," Mariah Carey said. "It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn't do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me, and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music."
Kathy Griffin
After she was diagnosed with lung cancer, Kathy Griffin had half of her left lung removed in August 2021. She continues to update her fans on Instagram about her recovery. "Yes, I have lung cancer even though I've never smoked! The doctors are very optimistic as it is stage 1 and contained to my left lung," she said.
Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty currently has stage 4 breast cancer, so she strives to live every moment she has to the fullest. "I try to treasure all the small moments that most people don't really see or take for granted," she told Elle in 2020. She's continued to work all along, and she stars in the upcoming Lifetime movie List of a Lifetime about a woman's experience battling breast cancer.
Mark Hoppus
In June 2021, the Blink-182 member announced on Twitter that he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer a few months ago. He now gives regular updates on his chemotherapy process, and he said that early scans have shown that his treatments are working. It's never easy to deal with health issues, much less in the public eye, but hopefully the support of his fans bolsters him during this tough time.
