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Celebrity Health Scares Through the Years
Not even our favorite celebrities are immune from experiencing health woes — and many of them are opening up about their battles in an effort to inform and inspire others who might be going through the same illnesses.
Selena Gomez’s health issues have been well-documented over the years. The “Look at Her Now” singer has openly talked about her mental health struggles, which even led to her entering rehab in 2018. However, in September 2017, she underwent a secret life-changing kidney surgery following complications from her long battle with lupus.
Gomez’s pal, Grownish star Francia Raisa, donated one of her kidneys to the former child star. “It was a six-hour surgery that they had to do on me, and the normal kidney process is actually two hours,” she told Today in October 2017. “Apparently, one of the arteries had flipped. I’m very thankful that there are people who know what to do in that situation.”
The Rare Beauty founder also credited Raisa for saving her life, saying: “Because she did. That’s it. I guess I got to the point where it was really kind of life or death.”
Amy Schumer, meanwhile, revealed in April 2018 had been hospitalized over a kidney infection. “Here’s what I’ve been up to this week. I was hospitalized for 5 days with a horrible kidney infection,” the Inside Amy Schumer star shared via Instagram. “I want to give a big thank you to the doctors, the badass nurses, also my husband who’s name is, I want to say, Chris? and my sisters Kimby and Mol who have been by my side the whole time.”
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Schumer welcomed her son, Gene, with husband Chris Fischer the following year. Leading up to the birth, she experienced pregnancy complications due to hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a severe form of morning sickness.
Additionally, Emilia Clarke opened up about secretly undergoing brain surgery twice after suffering from life-threatening aneurysms. In an essay for The New Yorker in 2019, she revealed that the health scares happened during the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones.
“I lost all hope. I couldn’t look anyone in the eye. There was terrible anxiety, panic attacks. I was raised never to say, ‘It’s not fair’; I was taught to remember that there is always someone who is worse off than you,” she wrote at the time. “But, going through this experience for the second time, all hope receded. I felt like a shell of myself. So much so that I now have a hard time remembering those dark days in much detail. My mind has blocked them out. But I do remember being convinced that I wasn’t going to live.”
The Me Before You actress noted that she’s since made a full recovery, adding, “In the years since my second surgery, I have healed beyond my most unreasonable hopes. I am now at a hundred percent.”
Scroll down to read about stars who have experienced health scares over the years.
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Adele
The “Easy on Me” singer opened up about her “really bad sciatica” on stage at her Vegas residency on New Year’s Day 2023. “I have to waddle these days,” she joked to the crowd as she made her way across the stage.
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Jameela Jamil
In a series of candid videos, the Good Place alum opened up about her battle with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in December 2022. (EDS is “a group of inherited disorders that affect your connective tissues — primarily your skin, joints and blood vessel walls,” according to the Mayo Clinic.)
“It is a serious condition and affects every part of your body and your mind and it is a dangerous thing to have if you don’t know you have it,” Jamil, who has been open about her various health issues over the years, said in one clip while showing how it affects her body.
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Celine Dion
In an emotional address shared via Instagram in December 2022, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer revealed she was “recently” diagnosed with a “very rare neurological disorder” known as “stiff-person syndrome.”
The disorder has “been causing all of the spasms that I’ve been having,” Dion explained, adding that it’s so rare it “affects something like one in a million people.”
Per the Mayo Clinic, “stiff-person syndrome,” also known as “Moersch-Woltman syndrome,” affects “motor function” and is often “characterized by involuntary stiffness of axial muscles and superimposed painful muscle spasms, which are often induced by startle or emotional stimuli.”
The condition — which forced the “Power of Love” artist to reschedule her Spring 2023 tour dates to Spring 2024 — is treatable, often by benzodiazepines, the Mayo Clinic notes.
Dion, for her part, explained that she has “a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better and my precious children, who are supporting me and giving me hope.” The Canada native also revealed she is working with a “sports medicine therapist” and feels she is on the “road to recovery.”
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Carey Hart
“Well, 24 hours after I checked in, I’m ready to cruise out of here,” the freestyle motocross racer said via Instagram in December 2022 after having surgery to fuse his neck vertebrae. “I’m on my own two feet as you see. Little battle wound where they went in to do my fusion in my neck. But feeling great.”
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Iggy Azalea
The rapper revealed in November 2022 that she was bedridden after a “rather mundane surgery” on her back went wrong.
“It didn’t end up being very mundane because I had complications with my recovery & ended up in bed hooked up to a million machines and in so much pain there are about 3 days I actually just can’t remember at all,” she tweeted. “I didn’t walk except to use the bathroom ( a whole other ordeal lol) for 3 weeks & you’d be shocked to know how weak you can get when you don’t actually move. It happens really fast. A week ago I was cleared to get up and start moving again. I’ve been seeing someone daily at the house and we do lil workouts (they are so sad y’all lol) I’ve been getting back strong. I will recover 100%. My goal is to be in good health by Christmas.”
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Grayson Chrisley
Todd and Julie Chrisley’s youngest son, Grayson, was involved in a car accident in November 2022, Us confirmed at the time. The teen reportedly rear-ended his vehicle into a stopped truck and sustained injuries and had to be treated at the hospital, per TMZ.
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Florence Welch
“I’m so sorry to say that after an X ray it seems I was dancing on a broken foot last night,” the Florence and the Machine singer wrote via Instagram in November 2022. “It is not in my nature to postpone a show, and certainly not a UK tour, but I’m in pain and as dancers know, dancing on an injury is not a good idea. And have been told not to perform to avoid further damage. I’m heartbroken as the Dance Fever tour has been my favorite show we have ever put on. The communion with you. Your beautiful faces shining … My heart is aching. I can’t wait to be back on my feet and back in your arms.”
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Al Roker
The beloved Today meteorologist has endured his fair share of health scares over the years, including a 2020 diagnosis of prostate cancer. In November 2022, Roker revealed that he was hospitalized for blood clots.
“So many of you have been thoughtfully asking where I’ve been. Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs,” the NBC personality wrote via Instagram at the time. “After some medical whack-a-mole, I am so fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers and hope to see you soon.”
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Louis Tomlinson
The “Lucky Again” singer fell and broke his arm on the way home from his New York City show in November 2022 — the same day he released his sophomore album, Faith in the Future. “Surgery went well so hopefully slowly but surely I’m on the mend,” the former One Direction band member shared with fans via social media.
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Jay Leno
The former late-night host told Variety in November 2022 that he “got some serious burns from a gasoline fire.” While he assured fans he’s “OK,” the comedian noted he also needed “a week or two to get back on my feet.”
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Roberta Flack
The “Killing Me Softly” singer revealed in November 2022 that she has been diagnosed with ALS. Though the disease “has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak,” her team said in a statement at the time, “it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon.” Flack “plans to stay active in her musical and creative pursuits,” the statement continued.
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Hilary Duff
“My whole family has had COVID, hand, foot [and mouth], colds that were worse than COVID, RSV, parainfluenza, the good old-fashioned flu. We had it all,” the Disney Channel alum — who shares son Luca, 10, with ex-husband Mike Comrie, and daughters Banks, 4, and Mae James, 20 months, with husband Matthew Koma — revealed in November 2022 via her Instagram Story. “‘Tis the season.”
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Andy Taylor
The former guitarist for Duran Duran revealed he is battling with stage IV prostate cancer while the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022.
“Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different; so I speak from the perspective of a family man but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have and this exceptional accolade,” the musician shared.
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Sharon Stone
“Just had another misdiagnosis and incorrect procedure. This time double epidural,” Stone wrote via Instagram in November 2022. “W worsening pain went for a SECOND OPINION: I have a large fibroid tumor that must come out. Ladies in particular: Don’t get blown off ❣️ GET A SECOND OPINION ❣️ It can save your life.”
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Finneas
The songwriter revealed in October 2022 that he suffered multiple broken bones and needed emergency surgery after getting into an accident while riding his electric bike. “Last Friday, I had the pleasure of crashing my electric bike, flying over the handlebars and absolutely demolishing my collarbone as well as sustaining a radial head fracture to my right elbow,” Finneas wrote via Instagram, alongside photos of his X-Rays. “The severity of the displacement of my collarbone meant I required surgery which I am now on the other side of and I’m feeling great!”
He continued: “As foolish as I felt after the fall, my prevailing emotion is gratitude. You see, I was not wearing a helmet. Lesson forever learned. I feel so lucky to still be here. Take care of yourselves, thank your bodies for all that they do for you. See you all again soon ❤️.”
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Post Malone
The rapper suffered from multiple onstage injuries while on tour which included the “Circles” singer falling through a trap door and finding out after the pain persisted that he had broken his ribs.
A second incident occurred when the performer rolled his ankle after tripping on one of the “little holes in the middle of stage where fire comes out” he addressed in a video recorded from the concert.
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Teddi Mellencamp
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star revealed in October 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma after previously getting it removed in March.
“I so badly wanted to blow this off. “What could happen in 3 months?” I thought,” Mellencamp wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of a pink scar on her shoulder. “Apparently a lot. I continue to share this journey because I was a 90s teen, putting baby oil and iodine on my skin to tan it. Never wearing sunscreen or getting my moles checked until I was 40 years old. This has been such a wakeup call for me, and I hope to all of you, to love and protect the skin you’re in.”
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Emma Caulfield
The WandaVision and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum went public with her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in October 2022. “I’m so tired of not being honest,” the actress told Vanity Fair about opening up about her battle with the disease, which she was diagnosed with in 2010. “And beyond that, my [6-year-old] daughter has changed my perspective, as I think anybody who is a parent can attest. … I’m not actually doing everything I can for her because I have my mouth shut.”
She added, “If I have a platform at all, I should be using it.”
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J.J. Watt
The Arizona Cardinals player revealed via Twitter in October 2022 that he went into atrial fibrillation days before taking the field against the Carolina Panthers. “I went into A-Fib on Wednesday, had my heart shocked back into rhythm on Thursday and I’m playing today,” he wrote.
The cardiac issue is characterized by irregular or rapid heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots and increase the risk of strokes, heart failure or other conditions.
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Rachel Zegler
The West Side Story actress opened up about finding a lump in her breast when she was 19 years old in 2020. “No OB/GYN was taking new patients due to the backlog of the [COVID-19] pandemic, but I was fortunate to have the care of my pediatrician who prescribed me an ultrasound, which led to an out-patient biopsy procedure,” she wrote via her Instagram Story in September 2022. “The fibroadenoma in my left breast is a common occurrence but nevertheless extremely scary to find. Early detection saves lives!!! Check your titty meat.”
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Pauley Perrette
In September 2022, the NCIS alum revealed that she suffered a massive stroke one year earlier. “I’ve been through a lot in the last two years,” she said in a Twitter video reflecting on her recovery. “Things that are harder than having a stroke. But I’m still here. And I’m still grateful.”
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iJustine
The wildly popular tech YouTuber — her channel has over 1 billion views — revealed in August that she suffered from a blood clot in her arm that nearly killed her in the spring.
“I couldn’t even flex my arm because my bicep was so massive that it looked like I was so shredded from the gym — but it was just swollen,” iJustine (real name: Justine Ezarik) told Today, adding, “I went from (being) perfectly fine to almost (dying) in the course of a few hours,” she said.
Fortunately, with the help of treatment and ample rest and recovery time, the social media star is OK. “I hate that this happened to me, but I’m so glad I have this platform to be able to let people know,” she said. “No one would ever think about blood clots until it happens to you.”
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Howie Mandel
In addition to being candid about his mental health issues — Mandel has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression — the America’s Got Talent judge has also been open about his physical health scares.
In October 2021, the Bobby’s World creator fainted while outside a Starbucks with his wife, Terry Mandel. He was immediately rushed to the hospital and later told fans via Twitter that he “was dehydrated and had low blood sugar,” which caused him to pass out.
Howie contracted COVID-19 in June 2022, which forced him to miss several episodes of America’s Got Talent, telling People that he was “still feel[ing] like I’m recovering from that, the insanity” of being in quarantine for 10 days. He added, “And I’m not joking. I got incredibly depressed, incredibly neurotic.”
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Carlos Santana
The guitarist passed out on stage during a performance in Michigan in July 2022 and was “doing well” after being taken to a nearby emergency room for “observation,” his manager noted in a statement at the time. Santana experienced “heat exhaustion and dehydration” and went on to postpone a concert in Pennsylvania while he recovered.
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Travis Barker
The Blink-182 drummer was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in June 2022 with wife Kourtney Kardashian by his side. Shortly before his health scare made headlines, the musician tweeted, “God save me.”
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Ashton Irwin
Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer stopped a June 2022 show mid-performance after Irwin, the drummer, began experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion. The band updated fans via their Instagram Story the next day.
“Last night’s show ended early due to a medical incident during the show. Upon experiencing physical symptoms, Ashton was taken to a local hospital for the tests and medical review,” they wrote. “As a result, it was advised Ashton had experienced extreme heat exhaustion. Thankfully and most importantly, he is feeling OK and recovering very well. We apologize to all the fans in attendance for the show being cut short.”
The group also canceled a performance scheduled for the following evening to allow Irwin time to rest.
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Maddy Brum
The Cheer star gave her Instagram followers an update from the hospital after being struck by a moving car in June 2022. “I am so unbelievably thankful that I am still alive and still get the opportunity to do what I love,” she wrote, noting that she walked away with just a few “bruises and cuts.”
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Kyle Richards
In June 2022, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star shared a glimpse of how she was recovering from a back injury. “I hurt my back and cannot move,” she captioned an Instagram Story photo featuring soup, a blanket and a TV. “This is where I will be for the unforeseeable future.”
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Justin Bieber
The “Peaches” crooner announced in June 2022 that he was postponing some of his Justice World Tour shows after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. “It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” Bieber said, revealing via an Instagram video how one side of his face is stationary. “As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move.”
The musician explained that he’s “physically, not capable” of doing his shows, noting, “This is pretty serious as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case. But obviously my body is telling me I need to slow down.” He insisted that once he feels better he will be back to performing.
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Jonathan Goodwin
The America’s Got Talent: Extreme contestant revealed in May 2022 that he was paralyzed following an on-set accident. “Six months ago I went to rehearse something and left this little hairy monkey waiting patiently for me … he didn’t see his dad again until just a couple of weeks ago and when he finally did, dad had new cool wheels,” Goodwin wrote via Instagram while sitting in a wheelchair and holding his dog. “A lot has changed in the last six months, but love is a constant and I’m very very loved. Looking forward to my next chapters and being a roll model.”
The daredevil gave more detail about the extent of his injuries, writing, “Thanks for all the love and lovely messages. To answer some questions … I have a T11 spinal cord injury which means I’m paralyzed from the waist down. It’s likely a permanent sitch. If any of you want to race though, I’m pretty sure I can beat you. #BringIt.”
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Cary Elwes
“Bit not by a ROUS but a rattlesnake,” the Princess Bride actor wrote via Instagram in April 2022, giving a nod to his 1987 movie. The actor went on to explain that despite getting struck by a snake on his hand, he was on the mend. “Grateful to the staff of Malibu Urgent Care, LA County Fire Dept. and the staff and medical professionals at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for their great care,” he continued. “Am recovering well thanks to all these wonderful folks. 🙏”
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Matt Lanter
The 90210 alum’s wife, Angela Lanter, gave fans an update on his health after he underwent emergency surgery in March 2022. “This week has been the scariest of my life. My hubby has been through the ringer since Tuesday and ended up in emergency surgery on Thursday,” she wrote via social media. “Thankfully he’s started to turn the corner and is slowly getting on the road to recovery.”
Angela shared a black-and-white photo of the couple holding hands in the hospital, thanking everyone for their “prayers, love and support” through the fearful time. “We are so thankful to the awesome nurses, they are the real heroes. ❤️,” she added. “We still have an uphill battle and will continue to be in the hospital for a while longer, so prayers are definitely still appreciated.”
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Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque
The WWE star reflected on his heart surgery while announcing his retirement from the wrestling ring in March 2022. “As far as in ring, which I get [asked about] a lot, I’m done,” the athlete told Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take at the time. “I would never wrestle again. First, I have a defibrillator in my chest. Which, it’s probably not a good idea for me to get zapped on live TV.”
Triple H recalled getting viral pneumonia in fall 2021, which ultimately led to fluid around his lungs and heart. By the time he had heart surgery in November of that year his heart was only pumping at 12 percent when it should be at 55 to 60 percent.
“I was in heart failure. Bad,” he recalled of his health pre-surgery. “[I was] sort of at the one-yard line of where you need to be — or where you don’t want to be, really, for your family and your future.”
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Liz Woodburn
The Made in Mexico star described the results of a “traumatic” fall in March 2022 after a horseback riding accident. “I was unconscious and convulsing for 3-4 minutes,” she explained via Instagram at the time, telling fans that she felt “nothing more than blessed and thankful” to be alive. “I am lucky that my injuries appear to be purely superficial.”
The Netflix star also reassured her followers that the horse only had “minor physical injuries to her neck and back.”
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Hailey Baldwin
The model opened up in March 2022 about a recent health scare in which she suffered “stroke like symptoms” and was taken to the hospital. “They found I had suffered a very small blood clot in my brain, which caused a small lack of oxygen, but my body had passed on its own and I recovered completely within a few hours,” she explained via her Instagram Stories.
The Arizona native insisted she was “doing well” after experiencing one of “scariest moments” of her life ahead of her hospital stay. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out with well wishes and concern, and for all the support and love,” she added.
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Mia Thornton
The Real Housewives of Potomac star announced her cancer diagnosis via Instagram in February 2022. She added in her post: “The storm is not over but this experience is changing me.”
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Lilly Singh
The A Little Late With Lilly Singh host handled her recent health scare with her trademark sense of humor, sharing a video from the hospital in February 2022. “Spent the last day in the ER because my ovaries have the AUDACITY to be wilding out,” she captioned the clip. “Both of them have cysts. And I’m just out here like REALLY B?! Let me understand this. You’re going to make me suffer once a month and then IN ADDITION, stab me inbetween periods?! LOLOLOLOL. WOW. THE ENTITLEMENT… the NERVE. IM WEAKKKK….”
She continued: “No but actually. It hurts and I’m tired lol but I truly expect nothing less than my organs doing the most. After all I am their mother.”
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Bethenny Frankel
The Bravo alum sent a message to those of her social media followers with “severe” allergies in February 2022 after suffering a “medical emergency” while on vacation with her daughter, Bryn. “Last night, my daughter told our server that I am deathly allergic to fish and we ordered off the vegan menu and they accidentally gave us someone else’s food,” Frankel said in a TikTok clip. “We realized too late and it was a crisis.”
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Heather McDonald
The comedian was hospitalized with a skull fracture in February 2022 after collapsing in the middle of a stand-up set in Arizona. “So, I’m in the emergency room,” she said in an Instagram Story video from her hospital bed. “Oh, my God, I’m so, so, so, so sorry. I passed out on stage. I got up, I did one joke and I felt so dizzy. I cannot believe this happened. I feel so terrible that they had to tell everyone to leave and then cancel the second show. Tempe, I will be back. I’ve never ever fainted in my life.”
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Chelsea Handler
“I am so sorry I had to cancel my shows tonight in Portland and my show in Eugene,” the former Chelsea Lately host explained via Instagram Story in February 2022. “I had a scare at the hospital, and I don’t have COVID, and I’m OK, but I had to reschedule my shows. So, I just wanted to say that, and I will see you all when I see you, and I’m sorry that I had to cancel. But I’m all OK, and I’m not pregnant.”
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Jimin
The BTS member underwent surgery for acute appendicitis in January 2022 after being taken to the emergency room for sudden abdominal pain. While in the hospital, he also tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing a mild sore throat.
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Celine Dion
The singer initially rescheduled Courage World Tour dates amid treatment for severe muscle spasms, but her recovery took longer than expected. In January 2022, she canceled the 19 remaining North American tour dates, from March 9 to April 22.
“I was really hoping that I’d be good to go by now, but I suppose I just have to be more patient and follow the regimen that my doctors are prescribing,” Dion said in a statement on her website. “There’s a lot of organizing and preparation that goes into our shows, and so we have to make decisions today which will affect the plans two months down the road.”
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Jenna Jameson
The former adult film star shared an Instagram video from the hospital in January 2022, writing, “The doctors suspect Guillain-Barré Syndrome and have started my [Intravenous Immunoglobulin] treatment. I am in the hospital and will likely remain here until treatment is complete.”
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Alli Simpson
Cody Simpson’s sister revealed that she not only started 2022 with a positive COVID-19 test, but she also suffered a severe neck injury. “Sometimes life can take a big turn in the blink of an eye,” she wrote via Instagram in January 2022. “Long story short — I dove into a shallow pool head first & hit my head on the bottom.. on New Year’s Eve. I got X-rays/CT Scans & an MRI to find I have 2 severe fractures in my neck. … I am extremely lucky to be alive and/or not quadriplegic as it JUST missed my spinal chord.”
The model told fans that she’d be wearing a neck brace for several months, adding, “The way I see it, four months is a drop in the ocean when it comes to the rest of my happy & healthy life.. as you can imagine, I have been in endless tears and thanking every guardian angel watching over me in the pool that night plus every moment since.”
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Park So-dam
The Parasite star had surgery after she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer during a routine check-up, her agency told CNN in December 2021. “Actor Park So-dam will focus on her recovery so that she can see you all healthy in the future, and ArtistCompany will also do our best to help the actor recover her health,” the statement noted at the time.
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Kathy Griffin
“I’m cancer-free,” Griffin revealed during a November 2021 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “I don’t know why, I had a tumor, right? And I’ve never smoked, and it was in there for 10 years.”
The comedian, who first opened up about her stage 1 lung cancer diagnosis in August 2021, explained that she underwent surgery to remove half of her left lung amid her health scare.
“They took it out and found it in another scan. So I go in, and [the doctor’s], like, describing how they take half your lung out, and he goes, ‘It’s kind of a like a balloon,’” she recalled, noting her doctor tried to keep things light during the intense procedure. “So, we do it laparoscopically and we poke it, then he goes, ‘And when we take it out, kind of looks like a used condom.’ And then he goes, ‘You can use that.'”
The Illinois native noted that although she is healthy, now, her vocal cords were affected as a result of her lung surgery. “It will heal, but I’m sort of enjoying it,” she said of her new, higher-pitched voice. “I’m a good two octave’s higher, I think. It’s higher than Mariah Carey, I know that.”
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Mark Wahlberg
“Don’t ask!!!❤️🤕,” the Uncharted star captioned an Instagram video in November 2021, turning to face the camera with a huge bandage covering one of his eyes.
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Meadow Walker
“2 years ago today,” the model shared via Instagram in November 2021, alongside a hospital selfie. “I’ve come a very long way. Bye bye tumor. Blessed & grateful.”
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La La Anthony
The BMF actress revealed in November 2021 that she underwent emergency heart surgery five months prior. “I felt my heart racing all the time, but because it’s all I ever really knew, I didn’t even know that it was necessarily something wrong,” Anthony said during an interview with Self, revealing doctors first noticed her abnormal heartbeat in 2019. “I just thought, ‘Oh, you just feel your heart racing sometimes because you’re working too much, you haven’t slept, you’re stressed.’”
She later had tests done in New York that showed her heartbeats were way faster than they should be. Anthony was prescribed medication to help get her heart to a normal rhythm, but she eventually stopped taking it. In June 2021, she called an ambulance when her heart started racing and she broke into a sweat. Anthony underwent a cardiac ablation procedure — a surgery that required her to be partially awake at certain points — once she arrived at the hospital.
“They would wake me up during the procedure and say, ‘We’re going to speed your heart up now. Just take deep breaths,’” she explained. “Those doctors were just so incredible. But it was a terrifying experience.” Anthony is now doing well.
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Miranda McKeon
The actress revealed she was undergoing a double mastectomy in November 2021 to remove breast tissue after being diagnosed with breast cancer. “This will get rid of any cancer and significantly decrease my risk of reoccurrence in the future. This also means that I will be cancer free,” the actress wrote via Instagram at the time. “Today step 2/3 will be finalized with radiation to follow. As always, I can’t thank everyone enough for their continued support. The people in my life show up for me each and everyday in ways that are so tender and heartwarming. I’m one lucky girl.”
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Benedict Cumberbatch
The Doctor Strange star was so committed to his role of 1920s rancher Phil Burbank in the 2021 film The Power of the Dog, he started smoking again — to his own detriment.
“Filterless rollies, just take after take after take,” Cumberbatch, who quit cigarettes years earlier, told Esquire in November of that same year. “I gave myself nicotine poisoning three times. When you have to smoke a lot, it genuinely is horrible.”
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Dick Vitale
The ESPN college basketball announcer was diagnosed with lymphoma in October 2021 after being diagnosed and treated for melanoma the previous summer. Vitale confirmed that the melanoma had been “totally cleared” after surgery. Doctors prescribed him steroids and six months of chemotherapy to treat the lymphoma.
“What’s evident is that the treatment plan for this lymphoma is going to be a lot tougher [than the melanoma], and in both cases, early detection played an important role in helping to manage the cancers,” he said in a statement via ESPN. “With all that said, I consider myself very lucky. I’ve seen firsthand the devastation that cancer can have on families, on children, and on all of our loved ones. It can bring you to your knees. It’s physically and emotionally exhausting. It robs you of so many things, including life itself for some of the most unfortunate patients. I never lose sight of that, and that’s why I feel so lucky.”
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Vince Neil
The Mötley Crüe singer fell off the stage in October 2021 during a solo performance at the Monsters on the Mountain music festival in Tennessee. Bassist Dana Strum told the crowd that Neil “broke [his] ribs when he fell,” according to CNN. Radio personality Eddie Trunk later tweeted that Neil was taken to the hospital where he was “getting care & X Rays.”
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Bill Clinton
In October 2021, the former president was treated for an infection at a California ICU. At the time, a spokesperson clarified that it was not COVID-19, noting in a statement that Clinton was “on the mend” and “in good spirits.”
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Tom Felton
In September 2021, the Harry Potter icon required medical attention after collapsing at a celebrity golf match in Wisconsin.
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Jerry Messing
The Freaks and Geeks alum, who previously tested positive for COVID-19 in August 2021, told TMZ that September that his battle with the virus left him partially paralyzed. He revealed to the outlet that he is unable to move his arms and legs well, nor can he stand up and walk on his own. After the Addams Family Reunion actor’s monthlong hospitalization, he noted he was undergoing physical therapy to aid his recovery efforts.
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Ben Higgins
The former Bachelor had surgery on his knee in September 2021 and kept fans in the loop about his recovery process. “Update number 1: thanks for thinking of me today!” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “ACL replaced, MCL was worse than expected so it had to be fully repaired and meniscus is as bouncy and cushion like as ever!”
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Stanley Tucci
In September 2021, the Devil Wears Prada actor opened up about his secret cancer battle three years after he was diagnosed. Tucci told Vera magazine that he had a tumor on the base of his tongue nearly three years earlier that was “too big to operate.” Instead, he privately underwent high-dose radiation and chemotherapy.
“I’d vowed I’d never do anything like that, because my first wife [Kate Spath-Tucci] died of cancer [in 2009], and to watch her go through those treatments for years was horrible,” he recalled to the magazine.
He continued, “The kids were great, but it was hard for them. I had a feeding tube for six months. I could barely make it to the twins’ high school graduation.”
While the Hunger Games star noted his cancer is “unlikely” to recur, he said, “[Cancer] makes you more afraid and less afraid at the same time. I feel much older than I did before I was sick. But you still want to get ahead and get things done.”
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Teyana Taylor
The singer revealed during an August 2021 We Got Love Teyana & Iman episode that she had undergone surgery in Miami to have breast lumps removed — and the biopsy results came back fine. “Cancer runs through my family, so it’s a scary thing both for me and [my husband], Iman [Shumpert],” she said at the time.
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Jason Tartick
The Bachelorette alum felt like the “luckiest [guy] in the world” after a run-on with a moving car left him with only a few bruises. “I’m so fortunate,” he said in an August 2021 Instagram video.
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Violent J
The Insane Clown Posse performer revealed his struggle with heart failure in August 2021, confirming that the musical group’s next tour would be their last.
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Roger Federer
The tennis pro announced in August 2021 that he will miss the US Open due to a necessary third operation on his right knee. “I’ve been doing a lot of checks with the doctors, as well, on my knee, getting all the information, as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon,” Federer said in an Instagram video. “Unfortunately, they told me for the medium to long term, to feel better, I will need surgery, so I decided to do it. I will be on crutches for many weeks and then also out of the game for many months.”
The athlete is hopeful that he will return to the tennis court once he’s fully healed but noted that it won’t be easy to bounce back from another surgery. “I want to be healthy. I want to be running around later, as well, again, and I want to give myself a glimmer of hope, also, to return to the tour in some shape or form,” he explained. “I am realistic, don’t get me wrong. I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it.”
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Jessie J
The British singer was hospitalized in December 2020 after she “woke up and felt like I was completely deaf in my right ear, couldn’t walk in a straight line.” She revealed in an Instagram Live that doctors told her she had Meniere’s syndrome, which is an inner ear condition that can cause vertigo and dizziness. “I know that a lot of people suffer from it and I’ve actually had a lot of people reach out to me and give me great advice, so I’ve just been laying low in silence. Now’s the first time I’ve been able to sing and bear it,” she added. “I just miss singing so much and being around anyone.”
“It could be way worse, it is what it is,” the “Bang Bang” singer continued. “I’m super-grateful for my health. It just threw me off. On Christmas Eve I was in the ear hospital going, ‘What is going on?’ But I’m glad I went early and they worked out what it was real quick and I got put on the right medicine, so I feel a lot better today.”
The “Domino” singer revealed in August 2021 that she could not “sing with ease” after dealing with pain for several months.
“[Six] months in and I still cannot get through a full day without pain in my mid neck / throat,” the British crooner captioned an Instagram video of a performance. “Some days are so much better than others. Worst part is that it’s not my vocal chords. They are healthy and in there with their hands up like. Not us J, we got you. It’s something around them. Spine, thyroid, allergy. Who knows. The tests continue.”
She confirmed that “95 [percent] of the time” she feels good, positive and strong, but the rest of the time it feels like “all hope disappears” and she is “lost and so alone in what’s going on.”
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Ruby Rose
In July 2021, the Orange Is the New Black alum shared that she called an ambulance following “serious” complications from an unspecified surgery. However, she struggled to find a facility with room amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I did have a procedure, and I had to have a surgery, but it was fine, and the surgery went well. But then yesterday, I had a few complications, and I had to go to the emergency room,” she shared via Instagram Stories at the time, noting that she then spent hours in the ambulance. “By the time I thought, ‘OK, I absolutely have to go to the hospital now,’ we called an ambulance, and it took hours to find a hospital that would be able to take me, or anyone.”
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Wentworth Miller
In July 2021, the Prison Break alum revealed via Instagram that he was diagnosed with autism one year prior.
“Like everyone, life in quarantine took things from me. But in the quiet/isolation, I found unexpected gifts. This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis,” he wrote in part. “It was a long, flawed process in need of updating. IMO. I’m a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old. And (it’s a “both/and”) I recognize access to a diagnosis is a privilege many do not enjoy. Let’s just say it was a shock. But not a surprise. … This isn’t something I’d change. No. I get – got – immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I’ve achieved/articulated.”
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Lauren Burnham
The Bachelor alum stayed overnight at the hospital in July 2021 while battling mastitis, a breast tissue infection. “Hate this for her,” Arie Luyendyk Jr. wrote via Instagram Stories at the time.
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Shailene Woodley
The Big Little Lies alum “felt isolated and alone” while battling a “debilitating” health condition, she told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2021. “I said no to a lot of projects, not because I wanted to but because I physically couldn’t participate in them. And I definitely suffered a lot more than I had to because I didn’t take care of myself. The self-inflicted pressure of not wanting to be helped or taken care of created more physical unrest throughout those years.”
The actress noted that a “broken arm or broken leg” would have been more obvious, explaining, “It’s really difficult for people to relate to the pain that you’re experiencing when it’s a silent, quiet and invisible pain.”
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Ashley Monroe
Country singer-songwriter Ashley Monroe announced that she was starting chemotherapy for a rare form of cancer in July 2021. “Short story long, they did a bone marrow biopsy, (ouch) , and VOILA… a rare kind of blood c word called ‘waldenstrom macroglobulinemia,’” Monroe explained in a lengthy Instagram post the day before her treatment started.
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, which is considered a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, results in bone marrow overproducing white blood cells, which negatively affects red blood cells. The Pistol Annies member is seeking treatment at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and she asked that fans hold their medical opinions to themselves. She will, however, take any good vibes fans send her way.
“I would greatly appreciate if no one gave me any unsolicited advice or medical opinions,” she requested. “I’ve done my research and have amazing Vanderbilt dr’s [sic] I’ve weighed every option with. That’s why I was hesitant to post about it, but I could use the prayers… and I DO believe in the power of prayer guys.”
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Charles Kelley
The Lady A musician was rushed to the hospital in July 2021 and diagnosed with appendicitis ahead of the group’s first show in more than one year amid the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the band canceled their Minnesota Lakefront Music Fest appearance, but Kelley assured fans that he was on the mend amid his hospital stay.
“Hey guys — sitting here in the hospital and so bummed to have missed performing our first show back in Minnesota, not to mention in 16 months — that’s an understatement,” he wrote via Instagram, sharing a photo from his recovery room. “But the ol’ appendix had other plans. [I] Didn’t even know what an appendix was until Friday when it sent me to the ER. Love y’all and be back soon enough.”
Two days later, the country crooner shared a video of himself back home and ready to go back on tour with his bandmates. “I’m back baby and ready to rock. Huge thanks to all the nurses and doctors and health care workers who took such great care of me,” he captioned the clip via Instagram. “Now … we rock. Coming for you Dallas.”
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Joshua Bassett
The Disney star opened up about being rushed to the hospital for near-fatal septic shock and heart failure.
“[I] started getting very ill, and it kept getting worse,” Bassett explained to GQ in June 2021. “I thought it was, like, food poisoning or whatever. It got worse, it got worse, it got worse, it got worse.”
The health scare happened on the same day that the actor released his song “Lie Lie Lie,” and Bassett confirmed that “stress had a part” in his illness.
“[The doctors] told me that I had a 30 percent chance of survival,” he revealed at the time. “They told me that if I had not checked into the hospital within 12 hours, I would have been found [dead] in my apartment.”
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Yvette Nicole Brown
The actress detailed in June 2021 how she consumed sugar “excessively” while filming her sitcom Community. “I got diabetes, or gave myself diabetes, by eating a lot of donuts on the set of Community,” she recalled on the “HypochondriActor” podcast. “I spent a lot of time at the craft services table, and I watched myself get bigger and bigger. And if you watch the show, you can see me get bigger and bigger. And I got a pre-diabetes diagnosis maybe in season 1, and then by season 3, it was full-blown diabetes.”
Cohost Dr. Priyanka Wali, meanwhile, told Brown she did not believe “it’s people’s faults that they contract diabetes.”
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Kelly Dodd and Rick Leventhal
“So, we tested positive for Lyme disease,” Dodd shared via her Instagram Story in June 2021. In the clip, the Fox News reporter explained to his wife that contracting the illness from a tick may be more common than it seems.
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Ali Fedotowsky
In June 2021, the season 6 Bachelorette revealed that she had been diagnosed with anemia after experiencing bouts of exhaustion. “After getting all this blood work done, it turns out I am super anemic, which I didn’t know,” she explained via Instagram. “My ferritin levels, which is how your blood stores iron, are basically zero, so my doctor’s like, ‘Um, no wonder you’re exhausted all the time. Like, I’m surprised you’re out and about.'” Her doctor put her on a regimen of daily iron supplements and also plans to treat her using an IV.
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Jesse Tyler Ferguson
The Modern Family alum used his experience with skin cancer to remind his followers about getting routine checkups.
“Reminder to stay up to date on your dermatology checks … especially if you’re fair like me,” Ferguson captioned an Instagram photo of himself in June 2021. “I always wind up getting something taken from me, every time I go.
“
He added: “Today, they took a bit of skin cancer that they found. Don’t worry, I got it early and I’m gonna be just fine.
(and, wear sunscreen! SPF 1000 for me!).”
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Kirsten Storms
The General Hospital star revealed she underwent brain surgery in June 2021. “What they had to drain and remove was not cancer. I want to clarify that right now before the internet goes crazy wild with rumors about this,” she shared via Instagram Stories at the time. “I had a very large cyst that had split into two, and the doctor said it was, like so full the pressure was very noticeable when they opened up my skull. [It] sounds so weird.”
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Grimes
The “Delete Forever” singer revealed in March 2021 that she suffered a panic attack after appearing on Saturday Night Live. “Forgot to post these cuz I somehow caused myself to have a panic attack and went to the hospital yesterday which tbh was quite scary,” she wrote via Instagram alongside photos from her cameo on the sketch comedy show. “I suppose it’s a good time to start therapy 😑😑😑.” Grimes then thanked the SNL team for having her on the show while her partner Elon Musk hosted.
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Avalon Young
The American Idol alum revealed in April 2021 that she has been diagnosed with brain cancer. She first opened up about her health battle in late 2020, when she began having “simple partial seizures.” In February, doctors removed most of a peach-sized tumor from her brain in a 16-hour surgery. “Got some of the worst news ever after thinking I was fully recovering after this tumor surgery,” she wrote via Instagram two months later. “I’ve got cancer in my brain and I gotta boss up and take care of it. … Everything is gonna be okay, the journey is gonna be wild, but I’m ready for it. Love you guys a ton. F—k cancer.” The singer’s second surgery is scheduled for May, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help fund her treatment.
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Larsa Pippen
Larsa Pippen revealed that she injured her leg via Instagram in March 2020. She shared a photo of herself with her legs elevated and crutches nearby along with the caption: “Cried a lot today I can’t believe I can’t walk I’m so depressed.”
This injury comes after Pippen, 46, shared a video of her and her friends jumping into the ocean off a yacht. She admitted she was in tears from the pain when her two pals had to help her out of the water.
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Luke Bryan
The country singer took to Instagram in March 2021 to share how he accidentally hooked his own hand while trying to catch a fish. Bryan shared a graphic video of the sharp fishing hook poking out of his thumb and joked, “Well, this is gonna leave a mark.” After a quick visit to a doctor, the American Idol judge was back out in the water.