Celebrities with Lyme disease: who has spoken out

Quick answer

Several well-known people have publicly shared that they have had Lyme disease, including Justin Bieber, Bella and Yolanda Hadid, Avril Lavigne, Justin Timberlake, Shania Twain and Kris Kristofferson. Celebrities are not more likely to get Lyme. With an estimated 476,000 Americans diagnosed and treated each year (CDC), famous people are simply more visible when they talk about it.

Below, we only include people who disclosed their own Lyme disease publicly, in their own words or in interviews, with a link to a reputable report and the year. We summarize what they said, not what treatments they used. A celebrity’s experience is personal and is not medical advice.

Celebrities who have spoken about Lyme disease

Justin Bieber (2020)

In January 2020, the singer posted a long message on Instagram saying he had recently been diagnosed with Lyme disease. He wrote that people criticizing his appearance did not know he was sick, and he also described a serious case of chronic mono. He said more would be shared in his YouTube docuseries “Seasons.” (ABC News, January 8, 2020)

Bella Hadid (diagnosed 2012; 2023 update)

The model has talked publicly about living with Lyme disease, which was first diagnosed in 2012. In August 2023 she shared on Instagram that she was finally healthy after years of illness and would return to work when she was ready. Her mother Yolanda and brother Anwar have also dealt with the illness. (W Magazine, August 7, 2023)

Yolanda Hadid (2017 memoir)

The former model and reality TV star wrote a full memoir about her illness, “Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease,” published in September 2017. In it she describes years of symptoms and searching for answers, a delayed diagnosis, and the public scrutiny her family faced. She also writes that two of her children were diagnosed. (Kirkus Reviews, 2017) For more reading, see our Lyme disease books guide.

Avril Lavigne (2015)

In a 2015 People magazine cover interview, the Canadian singer said she believed she got Lyme disease from a tick bite in the spring of 2014. She described being bedridden for months and said she had felt like she was dying. At the time of the interview she said she was about 80 percent better. (CBC News, April 2015)

Justin Timberlake (2025)

On July 31, 2025, at the end of his Forget Tomorrow world tour, the singer announced on Instagram that he had been diagnosed with Lyme disease. He described it as very debilitating, both mentally and physically, and said he had thought about stopping the tour but chose to keep performing. (PBS NewsHour / Associated Press, July 31, 2025)

Shania Twain (2017 interview)

The country-pop star has said a tick bite during her 2003 tour led to Lyme disease, and that it was followed by dysphonia, a problem with the vocal cords that affected her singing. She has described years of voice therapy and training as difficult work, like recovering from an injury. (CBC News, 2017)

Kris Kristofferson (2016)

In 2016, the singer-songwriter and his wife Lisa told Rolling Stone that memory problems he had been told were Alzheimer’s disease or dementia turned out, after testing, to be linked to Lyme disease. Lisa said she believed he was bitten by a tick while filming in Vermont. (CBS News, July 20, 2016)

We left out names we could not confirm from the person’s own public statement in a reputable source. If you know of a public figure who has spoken about Lyme on the record, tell us and include the source.

Why do so many celebrities have Lyme disease?

It can seem like Lyme disease is unusually common among famous people. There is no evidence of that. A few honest reasons explain why it feels that way:

• Lyme is common. With an estimated 476,000 people diagnosed and treated each year in the U.S., it would be surprising if no well-known people had it.
• Celebrities are visible. When a famous person shares a diagnosis, it reaches millions of people and is repeated for years. The same news from a neighbor stays local.
• Disclosure is a choice. Some public figures choose to talk about Lyme to explain canceled shows, changes in appearance or time away from work. Many others with Lyme never mention it.
• Families get counted more than once. The Hadid family alone accounts for three well-known names.
• Memorable stories stick. Dramatic stories are covered more than quick recoveries, which can make Lyme seem rarer to recover from than it is.

Some celebrity stories describe long-lasting illness. Ongoing symptoms after Lyme are a real and debated topic. CDC calls it post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, while many patients and some clinicians use the term chronic Lyme disease. Our guide to chronic Lyme disease lays out both views.

What their stories can teach the rest of us

The most useful thing celebrity stories do is raise awareness. If you spend time outdoors where ticks live, check for ticks and learn the early signs, such as an expanding rash or flu-like symptoms 3 to 30 days after a bite. See Lyme disease symptoms and our guide to Lyme testing. Do not copy a celebrity’s treatment. Treatment decisions belong with your own healthcare provider.

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