Justin Bieber is among the list of famous faces who have previously been diagnosed with a specific bacterial infection that seems to be common among celebrities.
The Canadian singer, 31, shocked fans when he shared that he was suffering from the illness back in 2019.
He joined the likes of household names like Bella Hadid, Ben Stiller, Kelly Osbourne and Shania Twain, who have all opened up about their own experiences with the disease.
Timberlake explained that he struggled with ‘massive amounts of nerve pain’ and ‘crazy fatigue and sickness,’ which led him to get checked out.
Justin Bieber was diagnosed with a bacterial infection in 2019, that is seemingly common among celebs (Instagram/lilbieber)
The illness we’re talking about, of course, is Lyme disease – a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks.
Six years ago, Bieber was suffering from extreme bouts of fatigue, leading him to undergo a series of medical tests.
Just a few weeks later, he was delivered the devastating news that he had contracted the illness, and it was to blame for the way he was feeling.
In the months prior to the announcement, the ‘Daisies’ singer came under vast health speculation, with false rumours swirling that he had a drug problem.
This was because the internet jumped to conclusions after seeing images of the star looking unwell with blotches on his skin.
Taking to Instagram to shut down the speculation, he told his followers: “While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like s**t, on meth etc. they failed to realise I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health.”
He added: “It’s been a rough couple years but [I’m] getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever.”
The hitmaker has been open about his struggles with the disease (Instagram/lilbieber)
At the time, he said he was getting ‘the right treatment’ and then in 2020 went on to release a documentary called The Dark Season about his struggles and time away from music.
“So, I’ve been struggling with my energy for quite some time now, and I just haven’t known why,” he told a doctor in the programme.
He then added: “I realised after a series of tests that I have what’s called Lyme disease, which is a super silent disease that’s not really very well known. It’s very hard for doctors to test for it.”
Also speaking in the doc, Dr Erica Lehman – one of the Bieber’s physicians at the time and an expert in thee condition – explained: “Lyme disease is the fastest growing bacterial infection in the United States right now.
“We know that it can cause a whole spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms – mood changes, irritability, depression, anxiety.
“Justin fits the picture of these symptoms.”
A long list of famous faces have been diagnosed with the same bacterial infection over the years, and people are beginning to question why.
The household names who have suffered with the disease include Yolanda Hadid, Bella Hadid, Justin Bieber, and Ben Stiller.
Amy Schumer, Shania Twain, Alec Baldwin and Avril Lavigne have also spoken out about their struggles with this particular illness.
As have Kelly Osbourne, Riley Keough, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and more recently, Miranda Hart.
And on Thursday (31 July), as he celebrated the end of his world tour, Justin Timberlake emotionally announced to the world that he too had received a diagnosis
The singer wrote on Instagram: “Well, as these two incredible years come to an end and I look forward to the future, I wanted to write something from the heart.
It’s not an easy task to try to contextualize the whirlwind of touring –– but, I will try…”
A number of celebrities have been diagnosed with the same bacterial infection – and Justin Timberlake is the latest (Manny Carabel/Getty Images)
He continued: “This has been the most fun, emotional, gratifying, physically demanding, and, at times, grueling experience. I have been doing this for 30+ years (which feels crazy to say) –– and have given all that I have to this. I could not have done it without my family, friends, The TN Kids, and all of YOUR support.
“As many of you know, I’m a pretty private person. But as I’m reflecting on the tour and festival tour – I want to tell you a little bit about what’s going on with me.”
Then, lifting the lid on the health struggle, Timberlake wrote: “Among other things, I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease – which I don’t say so you feel bad for me – but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes.”
Bella Hadid is among those who have been diagnosed previously (Instagram/@bellahadid)
What is Lyme disease?
As per the NHS, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks.
The disease refers to the symptoms and health problems that develop as a result of the infection.
It’s usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early and the key symptom to look out for is a circular or oval shape rash located around a tick bite.
It can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, but usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks.
The rash may have a darker or lighter area in the centre like a bullseye and is not usually hot or itchy.
Some people also get flu-like symptoms several days or weeks after they were bitten – these include:
- A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Tiredness and loss of energy
A warning sign on Lyme disease is a rash like this, that looks like a bullseye (NHS)
Why do so many celebrities get diagnosed with Lyme disease?
Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline why he thinks the famous are seemingly so prone to this disease.
An important fact about Lyme disease is that although ticks that may cause it are found all over the UK, the most high-risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands.
The expert explained: “If there is a rich and famous or class bias in this, it’s probably because they spend more time walking around in wooded parkland, more money to go out to those areas, or have big homes with these sorts of places.”
A lot of these celebs likely live in the US where the illness is known for being quite prevalent.
The expert added: “As you’re walking along the ticks jump on your legs and crawl their way up… have a blood feast and give you Lyme disease.”
He went on: “If you go walking in these sorts of places the best thing to do is check, when you get home, that you don’t have any ticks on you and if you have remove them safely.”
Timberlake revealed that he decided to push through and continue touring, despite his symptoms (Lyvans Boolaky / Getty Images)
What has Justin Timberlake said about his Lyme disease diagnosis?
In his social media post revealing he had Lyme disease, Timberlake wrote: “If you’ve experienced this disease or know someone who has – then you’re aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.”
He added that he was ‘shocked’ when he first got the diagnosis, but it also helped him understand why he got ‘massive amounts of nerve pain, crazy fatigue and sickness’ while on stage.
The singer continued: “ I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out.
“I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.
“Not only did I prove my mental tenacity to myself but, I now have so many special moments with all of you that I will never forget.
“I was reluctant to talk about this because I was always raised to keep something like this to yourself. But I am trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted.
“Sharing all of this with the hope that we can all find a way to be more connected. I’d like to do my part to help others experiencing this disease too.”
The bacterial infection spreads to humans through infected ticks – and it seems that more and more celebrities are being diagnosed.
Justin Timberlake has become the latest celebrity to be diagnosed with a specific bacterial disease (John Shearer/Getty Image)
We’re talking about Lyme disease – and these are the celebrities who have suffered from it…
Justin Bieber
In 2019, Justin Bieber, aged 25, announced that he’d been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
It came after brutal allegations from the public who were concerned for his wellbeing and accused him of crime and drug-taking.
Addressing the speculation, Bieber wrote in an Instagram post: “While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like s**t, on meth etc. they failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health.”
The star admitted: “It’s been a rough couple years but [I’m] getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever.”
Justin Bieber revealed he was suffering from Lyme disease back in 2019 (Instagram/@lilbieber)
Shania Twain
Shania Twain is another celebrity who has been extremely candid about her health struggles.
The music legend contracted Lyme disease in 2003 after being bitten by a tick while horseback riding.
Although she was treated shortly after developing the illness, she said the disease’s impact on her vocal cords went undiagnosed for years.
During a 2020 appearance on The View, Twain said: “There were seven years where I could not, for example, yell out for my dog. My voice would just cut out in certain places.
“It took another several years to determine what it was. … Nobody connected the Lyme disease to it. In the end, a neurologist finally worked out that it was the nerve to each vocal cord.”
And speaking about her diagnosis in her 2023 Netflix documentary Not Just A Girl, she revealed: “My symptoms were quite scary because before I was diagnosed, I was on stage very dizzy.
“I was losing my balance, I was afraid I was gonna fall off the stage… I was having these very, very, very millisecond blackouts, but regularly, every minute or every 30 seconds.”
Shania Twain’s diagnosis even impacted her vocal chords (Mathew Tsang / Getty Images)
Miranda Hart
Miranda Hart revealed that she was ‘housebound’ for years after she contracted the tick-borne illness as a teenager, and chronic fatigue that was caused by it.
It took 33 years for the comedian to receive a diagnosis after she was initially told she was agoraphobic.
In an interview with The Times, Hart said: “I lost my joy and know that I hadn’t enjoyed my career in the way that I knew I could have if I hadn’t been ill.
“I was housebound and bedbound for years. I didn’t have a job, I didn’t have a social life. I didn’t have any responsibilities or identities.”
Miranda Hart went undiagnosed for years (Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer revealed her Lyme disease diagnosis on her Instagram Story back in 2020, asking her followers for advice.
She asked: “Anyone get LYME this summer?
“I got it and I’m on doxycycline. I have maybe had it for years. Any advice? Can you have a glass of wine or 2 on it?”
Schumer added: “I want to say that I feel good and am excited to get rid of it.”
Amy Schumer opened up about her Lyme disease diagnosis in 2020 (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid and her mother, Yolanda Hadid, were both diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012, when the model was just 16 years old.
She still lives with the disease and in 2020 shared the symptoms she suffers from, including sensitivity to light and noise, thyroid dysfunction, inflammation, joint pain and numbness.
“It’s hard to take a shower most days, which I promise, guys, if you’re reading this, I shower every day,” Hadid admitted.
“But sometimes, if I have one day off, if I can get in the shower and make myself breakfast, I see that as an accomplishment.”
Avril Lavigne was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2014 after suffering from fatigue and flu-like symptoms while out on tour.
She later claimed that she was left bed-bound for around two years.
As per The Independent, a letter published for her fans on her website in 2018, she recalled how these were ‘the worst years of [her life]’ and ‘the battle of a lifetime’.
Lavigne wrote: “I spent the last few years at home sick fighting Lyme disease.
Avril Lavigne has explained how Lyme disease made for the worst years of her life (Noam Galai / Getty Images)
“I felt like I was drowning. Like I was going underwater and I just needed to come up for air. Like I was in a river being pulled in a current. Unable to breathe.”
She warned: “A single bug bite can f*** you up hard. People aren’t aware that Lyme must be treated almost immediately.”
Featured Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for MT/Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
A theory has emerged on why so many celebrities are being diagnosed with the same debilitating bacterial disease.
It comes as Justin Timberlake is the latest star to reveal that he’s suffering from the illness, with the hitmaker sharing a lengthy message to his fans on social media Thursday (31 July).
Before revealing the details of his health woes, wrote on Instagram: “As many of you know, I’m a pretty private person. But as I’m reflecting on the tour and festival tour – I want to tell you a little bit about what’s going on with me.”
Speaking of the illness, he continued: “If you’ve experienced this disease or know someone who has – then you’re aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically. When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure.”
He added: “But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness. I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out. I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.
The singer admitted he was ‘reluctant’ to talk about his diagnosis because he was ‘always raised to keep something like this to yourself,’ but he wants to be transparent about his struggles in order to help others.
He quipped: “Sharing all of this with the hope that we can all find a way to be more connected. I’d like to do my part to help others experiencing this disease too.”
The illness in question is Lyme disease – which has hit a whole slew of celebrities over the past decade – including Kelly Osbourne, Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, Miranda Hart, and Alec Baldwin.
Approximately 476,000 people in the US are diagnosed and treated for the bacterial disease each year, according to the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention.
As per the UK Health Security Agency, the biggest Lyme disease indicator is a spreading ‘bullseye’ rash at the site of the tick bite, which typically develops 3 to 30 days after being bitten.
However, the rash does not occur in every single case and other flu-like symptoms includes fever, headache and fatigue, a facial droop, nerve pains and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
Lyme disease is usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early, but it some cases, if left untreated it can turn chronic and cause further issues down the line.
But as more cases of the illness are popping up among household names, people are questioning whether there’s a reason it’s so common among celebs?
Well, there have been a few theories on why, and while they don’t offer a direct explanation, they do somewhat make sense.
Firstly, there are a number of lifestyle factors that would put famous people more at risk of being bitten by infected ticks – when you have a lot of money and time, you’re more likely to splash out on countryside estates in places like the Hamptons and the Malibu canyons where ticks are more prevalent.
Those who aren’t short on cash are are also more likely to take on more expensive hobbies such as horse riding in woodland areas, which have higher tick populations.
Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, confirmed this to MailOnline.
The expert explained: “If there is a rich and famous or class bias in this, it’s probably because they spend more time walking around in wooded parkland, more money to go out to those areas, or have big homes with these sorts of places.”
There are a number of theories on why celebrities may appear more likely get Lyme disease (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
Secondly, it’s no secret that celebrities have access to the best of the best when it comes to healthcare, meaning, they may get to the root of the issue quicker.
And finally, famous people may simply be more likely to speak about Lyme disease to raise awareness, rather than being more likely to get it.
A-listers will often speak out about what they’re going through online, whereas normal folk will not, creating the illusion that it’s more common for celebs.
There’s a disease which is said to impact around 400,000 people in the US every year, while in the UK there are around 3,000 to 4,000 new cases yearly.
However, the figures are thought to be much higher in reality, as according to GOV.uk, many cases are treated without formal laboratory confirmation.
Some people come up with a ‘bullseye’ rash, which means they are treated without testing.
The condition also often goes undiagnosed for years as many of the symptoms match other diseases, or the sufferer may even be asymptomatic for a long time, which can cause a multitude of side effects.
Many Hollywood A-listers have recently revealed they suffer with the condition, too, with Justin Timberlake being the latest to reveal his diagnosis this week.