Lyme disease affects more celebrities than you think

Lyme disease is a menace threatening millions, including the world’s richest and most famous people. Its victims include a growing list of celebrities, some of whom it has severely harmed. So, what’s the story behind this condition that can turn daily life into a nightmare?

At the heart of Lyme disease lies a bacterium known as borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted to humans via blacklegged tick bites. The disease was discovered in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut, but is an increasingly common problem across the Northern Hemisphere.

Photo: Unsplash (Erik Karits)

Once the tick has bitten a human, the resulting infection can manifest in different ways, depending on the tick species and the infection stage. The bacteria can affect everything from the skin and nervous system to the heart, joints, and muscles.

Photo: Unsplash (Nik Shuliahin)

While ticks can be far too sneaky, the best offense against Lyme disease is a good defense, according to experts. The disease is usually prevented if you take the tick out early, which is why tick checks after possible exposure (yes, they like orifices and hard-to-find places!) is so effective, as is covering up head-to-toe and possibly using pesticides like DEET on clothing to prevent them from grabbing onto you in the first place.

The tell-tale symptom is a bulls-eye rash, but that doesn’t happen to everyone. Other early symptoms include chills, fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain. If left untreated, it can escalate to arthritis, facial paralysis, brain inflammation, neurological issues and heart problems.

Photo: Unsplash (Erik Karits)

If you do get Lyme, swift detection and treatment are critical. If you are suspicious, see your doctor. The primary treatment typically involves antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. If you don’t catch it early, symptoms can sometimes persist for years, as experienced by celebrities like Avril Lavigne, who publicly shared her harrowing experience with the debilitating symptoms.

Canadian singer Avril Lavigne was among the first celebrities to share her painful journey with Lyme disease. After contracting it from a tick bite in 2014, she highlighted the severity of the disease in a heartfelt letter to her fans in 2018, even saying that she thought it was going to kill her and she had accepted that.

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Former Dutch model Yolanda Hadid, mother to renowned models Bella and Gigi Hadid, wrote about her struggle with Lyme disease in her 2017 book ‘Believe Me: My Battle With the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease.’ She also discussed contemplating taking her life due to the severity of her symptoms in several interviews. In her words, her brain was paralyzed.

Yolanda’s children, Bella and Anwar Hadid, have also been victims of this disease. In Bella’s case, she had to give up horse riding and sell her horse due to extreme fatigue. Both have openly discussed their experiences, including memory problems.

Living on the New York/Connecticut border, singer Daryl Hall (left) contracted Lyme disease around 2012 and struggled with it for years. Speaking to Health Line, he said the symptoms started like allergies but then turned into a terrible fever, extreme aches and a very stiff neck. He was tested and found that he had “six or seven” tick-borne diseases.

In 2015, close sources revealed that actress and designer Ashley Olsen was battling late-stage Lyme disease. “When she does come to work, she looks haggard and dishevelled. And she’s often moody. Ashley’s having a very rough time right now,” the source told OK! Magazine.

Justin Bieber was diagnosed with Lyme disease in January 2020. Despite receiving treatment, symptoms persisted, causing him to cancel several concerts of his U.S. tour in 2022.

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Actress Riley Keough, daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough, was also afflicted by Lyme disease. In a 2023 interview with The Wrap, she revealed that her illness peaked during the filming of the TV miniseries ‘Daisy Jones & The Six.’

Mexican singer Thalia began experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease during the latter stage of her pregnancy with daughter Sabrina, preventing her from taking care of her newborn child.

Actor Alec Baldwin experienced Lyme disease following multiple tick bites, and he believes he’s been dealing with chronic symptoms for two decades. “I got just attacked. It came like someone snapped their fingers and put a spell on me,” he told Prevention, describing his first major bout of illness.

Actor Richard Gere was bitten by a tick in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The bite led to Lyme disease, causing his knee to swell and forcing the delay of the filming of ‘Autumn in New York’ in 1999. Luckily, his was caught early, treated with antibiotics and didn't cause too much damage.

Similarly, actor Ben Stiller discovered his Lyme disease following a knee swelling incident, as he revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2011.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, known for her roles in ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘Will & Grace,’ suffered from Lyme disease. In 2000, while filming ‘Campfire Stories,’ she became temporarily paralyzed from the waist down due to the condition.

Amy Schumer took to Instagram for advice on living with Lyme disease after her diagnosis in September 2020, humorously asking her followers whether she could still enjoy a glass or two of wine.

Canadian singer Shania Twain contracted Lyme disease in 2003 while riding horses, which had devastating effects on her health and even her vocal cords, she told Sunday Today in March 2020, describing the ordeal as "devastating."

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British reality TV star Kelly Osbourne included her battle with Lyme disease in her 2017 memoir, expressing how relieved she was when she finally discovered what had been causing her symptoms.

In her book ‘Bite Me: How Lyme Disease Stole My Childhood, Made Me Crazy, and Almost Killed Me,’ Ally Hilfiger, daughter of designer Tommy Hilfiger, detailed her struggle with Lyme disease. Like Kelly Osbourne, she felt a sense of liberation upon learning the origin of her intense symptoms that were ruining her life.

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