Many celebrities have long been vocal about their struggles with Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses, including Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, and Yolanda Hadid, just to name a few. In 2020, even more public figures spoke out about new or ongoing diagnoses of Lyme disease. As the COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on infectious diseases and made prioritizing one’s health more important than ever, these celebrity stories have provided much-needed advocacy for many in the Lyme community.
7 Celebrities with Lyme Disease
Keep reading to learn about some recent and lesser-known celebrities with Lyme disease.
1. Justin Bieber
In early 2020, the 25-year-old Canadian recording artist revealed he had recently been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Bieber says he went nearly a year suffering symptoms of the tick-borne illness – including depression, fatigue, and impaired brain function exacerbated by a simultaneous case of mononucleosis – before finally getting an accurate diagnosis.
This mirrors the experience of all too many in the Lyme community, where mis-, missed or delayed diagnoses are common due to the flawed testing strategy recommended by the CDC paired with the trickiness of recognizing Lyme symptoms, which can closely resemble symptoms of other diseases.
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2. Amy Schumer
Last fall, comedian and actress Amy Schumer put the spotlight on tick season when she asked her Instagram followers if any of them had gotten Lyme “this summer” like she did. She expressed optimism that her treatment regimen of the antibiotic doxycycline and an herbal remedy she called lyme-2 would restore her health soon.
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3. Debbie Gibson
Singer and one-time Dancing with the Stars contestant Debbie Gibson began experiencing Lyme disease symptoms in 2013. The following year, she went public with the story of how she had struggled with anxiety, new food sensitivities, new fatigue and muscle aches, and weight loss before finally being diagnosed with Lyme.
Gibson describes how at first she didn’t think it could be Lyme disease because she lived on the West Coast, highlighting how the misconception that Lyme is only an East Coast disease creates barriers to diagnosis and treatment for many patients.
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4. Alice Walker
Along with Amy Tan and Rebecca Wells, Alice Walker is an example of another talented American author who has written about her experience with Lyme disease. The writer, best-known for her novel The Color Purple, has described Lyme disease as a physical and emotional “bashing” that impacted her health and personal relationships, but also led to a “spiritual transformation.” Her honest words reflect the resilience of survivors of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
5. Kris Kristofferson
Legendary singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson was diagnosed with Lyme disease shortly before his 80th birthday. His wife has spoken about the side effects he experienced from a range of medications he was prescribed to treat depression and Alzheimer’s before finally receiving an accurate diagnosis of Lyme disease and starting a treatment regimen that actually alleviated his Lyme symptoms.
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6. Parker Posey
In 2009, actress Parker Posey had to drop out of a stage production in which she had been cast in the lead role because of her battle with Lyme disease. She has been vocal about her holistic treatment approach: after a round of antibiotics that was not fully successful, she turned to alternative remedies including dietary changes and natural supplements.
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7. Kathleen Hanna
Musician Kathleen Hanna believes she was infected with Lyme disease for years without realizing it. Though she received antibiotic treatment after a tick bite in 2005, she experienced debilitating symptoms for years afterwards, along with several misdiagnoses including multiple sclerosis, lupus, and panic attacks. It wasn’t until 2010 when she was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. Health problems caused by her chronic Lyme were part of her reason for leaving her band, Le Tigre, underscoring yet again the toll chronic Lyme disease can take on a patient’s life.
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8. Kelley Flanagan
Former Bachelor contestant Kelley Flanagan announced her diagnosis of Lyme disease and several coinfections in August 2021 after being tested through IGeneX. Since then, she’s been using social media to keep fans and followers in the loop about her journey with the disease, offering honesty and inspiration to the Lyme and chronic illness communities.
You can keep up with her journey over at her blog, kelleyflanagan.com, where you can also find her social media handles.
Better treatment starts with better testing
If these celebrity Lyme stories tell us anything, it’s that Lyme can strike anyone, anywhere, any time. As a premier testing lab dedicated to better diagnostic outcomes, IGeneX appreciates these candid discussions of Lyme, chronic Lyme, and other tick-borne diseases. These famous Lyme cases remind us that with the right treatment, there is a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to Lyme.
The key to getting the right treatment is getting the right diagnosis – and that requires highly accurate, sensitive testing technology. Learn about the Lyme disease tests available at IGeneX today.