Our fave celebrities might look like they’ve got it all, fame, talent, money, the dream life. But peel back the glam, and you realize they’re just like us, they’re struggling, they hurt, they heal. No amount of fame or fortune can fix what’s going on inside.
What’s cool, though, is that some artists are done pretending everything’s perfect. They’ve opened up about their battles with chronic conditions, showing that vulnerability isn’t weakness, it’s power. Their honesty doesn’t just break stigma; it reminds us we’re all in this together.
So if you’re looking for a little inspo and proof that healing can be loud, messy, and real, here’s a list of celebrities who are also living with chronic conditions.
Celebrities With Chronic Conditions
1. Michael Bolton’s Brain Cancer Diagnosis
With a career that’s lasted over five decades and two Grammys under his belt, Michael Bolton could’ve easily kicked back and enjoyed retirement. But everything changed in 2023 when he had emergency brain surgery to remove a tumor. Soon after, he was hit with a heartbreaking diagnosis: glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, per the Mayo Clinic.
In an April interview with People, the 72-year-old opened up about his battle and struggle with short-term memory, speech, and mobility. Still, he’s not giving up anytime soon, telling the outlet, “Succumbing to the challenge is not an option.”
2. Selena Gomez’s Candid Lupus Reveal
Selena Gomez has always kept it real with fans, especially when it comes to her battle with lupus, an autoimmune disease she’s been living with for years.
The Calm Down singer first revealed her diagnosis back in 2013 and has been open about it ever since. She’s shared her journey across social media, even telling Billboard once, “I was diagnosed with [autoimmune disease] lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy.”
After taking a step back from the spotlight to focus on her health, she’s turned that pain into purpose, using her platform to spread awareness about lupus. And no, this isn’t about any rumored drama with Hailey Bieber — I’m not doing that today. What I am doing is giving Mrs. Blanco her flowers for being a fierce advocate and staying authentic through it all.
3. Katy Perry’s Incontinence Issues
Katy Perry has been super real about her experience with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), something most people assume only affects older women. The best-selling singer dealt with it as a teen, even admitting she had to wear diapers to class when things got really bad.
While Katy eventually got her bladder issues sorted after doctors correctly diagnosed her with a urinary tract infection, not everyone with SUI has it that easy. Some treatments, like vaginal mesh implants, have actually caused serious complications — even sparking an ongoing transvaginal mesh lawsuit over their safety. Thankfully, Katy’s case was quickly caught and treated, but her story shows just how tricky (and risky) getting the right diagnosis can be.
Looking back, she says, “I can’t say that I enjoyed [it], but I think that the whole experience made me a stronger and more understanding person.”
4. Justin Bieber’s Facial Mobility Challenges
In summer 2023, Beliebers woke up to some sad news: Justin Bieber had officially canceled the rest of his Justice world tour. The 32-year-old was just weeks away from performing in South Africa when he dropped the update, explaining on Instagram that he’d been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
The rare neurological disorder causes facial weakness or even paralysis (according to Nord), and at one point, one side of Justin’s face couldn’t move at all. “It’s from a virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves,” he told fans on IG, assuring them he was doing everything to recover.
Thankfully, by late 2023, he shared a hopeful update — a video of him smiling again.
5. Lady Gaga’s Struggles With Fibromyalgia
Poker Face muso Lady Gaga is a fighter. No one could have guessed that behind all that hard work while preparing for the European leg of her Joanne World Tour, she was experiencing immense pain.
On top of being open about mental health and eating disorders, Gaga has also spoken about her battle with fibromyalgia. The chronic condition which causes widespread pain, fatigue, and other symptoms led to the cancellation of her European tour due to “severe physical pain that has impacted her ability to perform” (revealed in her 2017 documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two).
In her most recent interview with The Sunday Times, a relieved Gaga said she had the condition was “under control” and was “95 percent better.” She added, “I still have pain days, but they are very rare. I feel lucky.”
6. Daryl Hall’s Lyme Disease Symptoms
Lyme disease can be seriously hard to pin down. The tick-borne infection can look like anything from a rash or fever to fatigue and headaches, which makes it easy to miss. For Hall & Oates frontman Daryl Hall, it showed up as heart problems, anxiety, depression, and memory loss.
According to HuffPost, doctors first brushed it off as a “summer flu,” and it took 11 misdiagnoses before someone finally figured out it was Lyme disease. His story isn’t unique. Cases like Joseph Elone’s have highlighted how often the illness gets overlooked, even leading to death and lawsuits.
Now, Hall uses his experience to spread awareness, telling Healthline [via Express], “Get tested for Lyme disease because the symptoms mimic so many other things.”
7. Nick Jonas’s Fight Against Diabetes
Nick Jonas was just 13 when he got hit with a type 1 diabetes diagnosis, right as the Jonas Brothers were blowing up. Instead of hiding it, he’s always kept it real about what it’s like living with the condition, even writing A Little Bit Longer, a song that totally captures the emotional chaos of finding out he had it.
Type 1 diabetes happens when your immune system destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin — basically the stuff your body needs to turn sugar into energy. And with diabetes in young people on the rise, Nick’s openness hits even harder.
Looking back, Nick told People, “I was very close to a coma. It was a lot to take in, but it gave me a sense of purpose.” Now he’s all about raising awareness and showing that diabetes doesn’t stop your shine.
8. Kim Kardashian’s Battle With Psoriasis
Kim Kardashian has been open about her longtime struggle with psoriasis, a chronic skin condition that causes red, scaly patches on the skin. She first revealed her diagnosis on Keeping Up With the Kardashians and has shared her flare-ups and treatments ever since.
Over the years, she’s tried everything from herbal remedies to tanning beds, the latter which sparked controversy as they can be unsafe for psoriasis according to dermatologists. However, Kimmy also manages flare-ups through lifestyle changes and stress control.
As she told Poosh, “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 yourself comfortable.”
9. Dan Reynolds’s Painful AS Struggles
In 2015, Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds shocked fans when he grabbed the mic and opened up about living with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) — a chronic autoimmune disease that causes painful inflammation in the spine. “I’ve never spoken about it because… I’ve been embarrassed… I’m gonna share it, because there’s probably other people out there who suffer from it, too,” he said.
Now a major advocate for awareness, Reynolds opened up about his chronic condition, saying, “It was a real problem for me — it was devastating. My blood pressure was through the roof because I was in so much pain constantly.”
AS often starts with back pain, stiffness, or sore hips that won’t quit, and if left untreated, it can seriously limit movement.
10. Will.i.am’s Combat with ADHD
will.i.am has openly shared his journey with Attention‑Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition many still misunderstand. Discussing it with The Mirror back in 2013, the rapper said, “I have ADHD; I admit it. I’ve got all these thoughts running around in my head at the same time as I’m doing other things.”
Despite the challenge of a mind that never seems to rest, will.i.am turns it into creative fuel, saying that the power of music keeps him focused, “It keeps my mind from wandering. I can stay in the music. Music brings control to my thoughts.”
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