Singer Justin Timberlake has revealed he has Lyme disease.
Timberlake posted the news on Instagram Thursday. He called it a “relentlessly debilitating” disease, per the Hollywood Reporter.
“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,” Timberlake wrote.
He continued his post by talking about the struggles he has had since his diagnosis.
“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 wrote. “When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. 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.”
He said he had to decide whether to take a break or keep doing his two-year Forget Tomorrow tour.
“I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out,” he wrote. “I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”
“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.”
Timberlake’s tour started in April 2024, soon after he released album “Everything I Thought It Was.”
Other celebrities battling Lyme disease are Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne and Justin Bieber.
“Lyme disease is an illness caused by borrelia bacteria. Humans usually get Lyme disease from the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria,” per the Mayo Clinic.
