Justin Timberlake isn’t the only celebrity who’s had Lyme disease: These singers and actors have also been diagnosed

Following the last show of his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, Justin Timberlake revealed he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, a condition he has described as “relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.”

“When I first got the diagnosis, I was shocked for sure,” Timberlake revealed in an Instagram post. “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.”

What is Lyme disease? Cause, symptoms and treatment

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bacteria that cause the disease “are spread to people through the bites of infected ticks.” Typical symptoms of the condition “include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans.”

Individuals who are not receiving treatment for Lyme disease could additionally suffer from facial paralysis, an irregular heartbeat and arthritis. If it is left untreated, the infection can “spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system.”

For most people, Lyme disease is curable within two to four weeks with antibiotics, although others suffer from “prolonged symptoms of fatigue, body aches, or difficulty thinking as a result of their infection,” which appears to be Timberlake’s case.

Will Lyme disease affect Timberlake’s onstage career?

The former NSYNC star made the revelation after playing the final date of The Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday (July 30). “I honestly don’t know what my future is onstage but I’ll always cherish this run!” the 44-year-old said, reflecting on his diagnosis.

Timberlake is one of a number of high-profile stars who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease at some point in their lives. These celebrities have also been forced to deal with the condition, and this is what they say about it.

Celebrities reveal Lyme disease experiences

Justin Bieber

“While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like shit, on meth etc. they failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease,” the pop superstar wrote on Instagram in January 2020. “It’s been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever.”

Ben Stiller

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Stiller explained, “I’m symptom-free now, but Lyme doesn’t ever leave your system. It’s a really tough thing.”

Avril Lavigne

“I had no idea a bug bite could do this. I was bedridden for five months,” Lavigne revealed to People in 2015.

“When you go through something like that, you realize how fulfilling simple things are - things I could do anymore, like being able to get up in the morning and go to the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee,” she later said about the disease in 2019. “It taught me patience; it taught me being more present. That was a beautiful lesson.”

Shania Twain

“I was very scared for a little while that I wouldn’t sing again, ever,” Twain told People in January 2023. “I went through that moment, but I found a way. I found a way to do it.”

Alec Baldwin

“I really thought this is it, I’m not going to live,” Baldwin said in 2017. “I was alone, I wasn’t married at the time, I was divorced from my first wife. I was lying in bed saying, ‘I’m going to die of Lyme disease,’ in my bed and ‘I hope someone finds me and I’m not here for too long.’”

Amy Schumer

“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?” actress and comedian Schumer asked on Instagram in 2020.

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