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Celebrities Living With Lupus
Being diagnosed with a chronic condition like Lupus can feel isolating, especially if you don’t know anyone else who has gone through it. The autoimmune condition can cause inflammation in the skin, heart, kidneys, lungs, joints, and other body parts. Side effects include overwhelming fatigue, skin rashes, chronic pain, fevers, kidney damage, heart problems, depression, and weight changes.
Lupus is considered an “invisible illness,” meaning the symptoms don’t always manifest in a way you can see. This may lead others to underestimate and invalidate the severity of the condition, which can feel just as debilitating as the physical symptoms.
Fortunately, with celebrities like Selena Gomez, Toni Braxton, and, most recently, Halsey bravely speaking out about their diagnoses, more and more people are learning what it looks like Celebrities Living with Lupus. These celebs, through their courage and determination, have all used their platforms to bring more attention to the condition, inspiring the public with their stories and educating them on how chronic illness living with Lupus affects their lives.
Check out these ten celebrities living with Lupus and sharing their candid experiences to raise Lupus awareness.
Toni Braxton
Age: 57 years
DOB: 7 October 1967
Braxton was diagnosed with systemic Lupus in 2008, but she didn’t share her diagnosis publicly until 2010. as she was initially ashamed and told to hide her diagnosis by her management.
Braxton has since experienced severe health complications from Lupus, including kidney problems, skin issues, heart issues, and vital organ damage. She was hospitalized with blood clots in 2012.
Braxton says she developed chronic anxiety after her medical concerns were dismissed. She now sees her doctor regularly for blood and urine tests to check the protein level in her urine, a practice she emphasizes for all Lupus patients to stay informed and proactive about their health.
Braxton encourages others with Lupus to keep up with health checks, care for themselves, and not miss doctor’s appointments. She says talking about her lupus diagnosis has empowered her and helped her advocate for herself and others, showing that it’s possible to manage the condition and live a fulfilling life, a testament to her resilience and strength.
Seal
Age: 61 years
DOB: 19 February 1963)
Those scars result from Lupus, a chronic disease that can cause inflammation and pain in any part of the body. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, about 1.5 million Americans and at least 5 million people worldwide have the disease. Lupus most commonly affects the skin, joints, and internal organs and can cause various symptoms.
Seal, 57, has a form called discoid LupusLupus, which gets its name from the coin-shaped lesions it causes. “My lupus first arrived when I was 21,” he explains. “It’s not as serious as systemic [lupus], which affects the organs.”
The musician reveals that he initially was self-conscious about his scars, “but then I quickly realized this body is not who we are. I got off lightly.”
Lady Gaga
Age: 38 years
DOB: 28 March 1986)
While Lady Gaga hasn’t experienced apparent symptoms of the autoimmune disease, she tested borderline positive for LupusLupus in 2010. the disease can lie dormant for decades and be triggered by a variety of factors, including stress, medication, or infection.
Nick Cannon
Age: 44 years
DOB: 8 October 1980)
Nick Cannon has been open about his battle with Lupus since his diagnosis in 2012, sharing his journey to help others with the disease:
Cannon was diagnosed with lupus nephritis, a complication of Lupus that affects the kidneys.
Cannon has since experienced blood transfusions, chemotherapy, and hospitalizations. He has said that his illness was sudden and mysterious and that he initially thought he was dehydrated.
Cannon has since made lifestyle changes to manage his Lupus
such as eating more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods, choosing fish over meat, drinking a gallon of water a day and getting at least 6 hours of sleep, but trying to get 8.
Cannon recommended that others with Lupus take it one day at a time, persevere, and do everything their doctor tells them to do.
Selena Gomez
Age: 32 years
DOB: 22 July 1992
Selena Gomez has Lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy cells. Her Lupus led to organ damage and a kidney transplant in 2017. Gomez has been open about her Lupus and its effects on her life, including:
In 2015, Gomez took a break from her career to deal with anxiety and depression related to her lupus diagnosis.
She hopes that by sharing her story, others will keep going.
Gomez has spoken about how her lupus medication has affected her body, including body shaming (click below to find out more).
Gomez has also admitted that she can’t carry children due to her Lupus but that she is thankful for other options like surrogacy and adoption.
Gina Yashere
AGE: 50 years
DOB 6 April 1974
Yashere looks younger than she often did in her 30s when she suffered terribly with Lupus developed crippling arthritis in her hands and gained more than 5st in weight (which she lost when she came off the medication)
Kéllé Bryan
Age: 49
Born: 12th March 1975
Bryan has personal and health issues. She was diagnosed with Lupus in 1998 and is a patron of St Thomas’ Lupus Trust. In 2010, she married Jay Gudgeon. The pair have two children together.
Trick Daddy
Age: 50 years
DOB: 27 September 1974
he has Lupus, an incurable autoimmune disease, which makes the immune system attack the body’s cells and tissue. Lupus affects all major organs in the human body, including the heart, kidneys and nervous system. “I went to the doctor about 12 years ago. He took all kinds of tests because I was trying to get rid of what we call dry skin. She did biopsies, blood tests, and swab tests. She told me I have Lupus. I am highly allergic to the sun; that’s my worst enemy.
Kristen Johnston
Age: 57 years
DOB 20 September 1967
Actress Kristen Johnston has lupus myelitis, a rare type of Lupus that affects the spinal cord:
Johnston experienced muscle weakness, difficulty walking, and needing a neck brace to hold her head up. She also described feeling like she was “swimming in molasses”.
Johnston was diagnosed after months of mysterious illness, 17 doctor visits, and two weeks at the Mayo Clinic.
Johnston was treated with steroids and chemo and was in remission within six months.
Johnston’s symptoms were so severe that she had to take time off from her role on The Exes. She said that TV Land and the cast of The Exes were very patient and supportive.
Consequence
Age: 47
DOB: 14 June 1977
Dexter Raymond Mills Jr. (better known by his stage name Consequence, on a flight from Detroit to Jamaica, the rapper developed a crank in his neck, which he thought would go away in a finger snap. Unfortunately, he was wrong — the pain reportedly “stuck around”, causing the rapper to seek medical attention from his primary physician, who ultimately prescribed muscle relaxers, which led to inflammation in his whole body. Consequence was tested, and doctors discovered the correct diagnosis of Lupus, something he described as “your whole body being on fire.”
“All my cells were on fire, and that’s why I couldn’t move,” Consequence continued. “I was fucked up, never in my life fucked up like this. But God’s will be God’s will. Eventually, what it was was discovered.
The rapper also revealed that while he was fighting hard to gain his weight back, it was the body-shaming that he suffered because of his dramatically thin appearance that lit the fire to push him to go forward and release music how the rapper admits that that the health scare temporarily stripped away his courage and bravado, often leaving him in tears.
Discover more about my journey with Lupus by checking out these insightful posts:
Lupus Symptoms: 22 Signs of Lupus You Shouldn’t Ignore
ThisIsLupus:11 Essential Tools To Help You Self-Advocate Effectively
9 Important Facts for Family & Friends Of Lupus Sufferers
How to Support Someone with Lupus?
What Not To Say To Someone With Lupus
Living with Lupus – The Lesser Known Side of the Story
Discover Valuable Resources for Navigating Lupus – Your Guide to More Support:
If you or a loved one are being diagnosed with Lupus and need further assistance or information, these reliable and trusted resources can help.
Lupus UK: A Key Resource for Those Affected by SLE Lupus UK is a voluntary organization in the United Kingdom that plays a crucial role in providing information and support to individuals affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Lupus Trust – You’re Not Alone. Online resource and charity.
Lupus Trust: A Champion for Lupus Research and Awareness The Lupus Trust, established as a registered charity in 1991, is dedicated to supporting lupus research at Guy’s Hospital and raising awareness of Lupus.
The Lupus Trust (previously St Thomas Lupus Trust) was established to fund vital research into Lupus and provide information on Lupus.
Hibbs Lupus Trust: A Personal Journey Turned into a Mission The Hibbs Lupus Trust, a registered charity founded in 2011 by the Hibbs family, was born from a personal journey with Lupus and a strong desire to create meaningful change.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Have any of these celebrities living with lupus inspired you with their experiences? Let’s start a conversation in the comments below. Share your insights and let’s support one another!
