5 Celebrities Who Kept Their Lupus Diagnoses From The Spotlight

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that triggers the immune system to damage the body's organs and tissues, and the inflammation caused by the disease often leads to joint pain, rashes, fevers, headaches, mouth sores, and numerous other symptoms. It's also worth noting that lupus does not currently have a cure. However, treatment options like NSAIDs and immunosuppressants can ease flare-ups. 

Lupus affects about 1.5 million people in the United States, including some celebs who have said that they kept their lupus diagnosis a secret because they felt, or were told, that their symptoms would affect professional opportunities. Another major reason several celebrities kept their lupus diagnosis private is that they didn't want to invite public scrutiny as they came to terms with how the disease affected their life and underwent treatment. While it's completely understandable why A-listers would want to keep their lupus diagnosis private, we have seen how going public with health diagnoses can have positives. One of the best examples of these positive effects comes from Selena Gomez's story. 

At the 2017 Lupus Research Alliance's Breaking Through Lupus Gala, Kenneth M. Farber, CEO of the nonprofit, explained how Gomez had created more awareness about the disease with her NBC interview, saying, "When Selena mentioned Lupus, we got more calls asking for information in one day than we typically get in an entire month" (via Vogue). In the years after going public with her diagnosis, Gomez also raised a considerable amount of money for lupus research. Suffice it to say, a lot of good can come from celebrities striking a balance between privacy and activism by sharing their diagnoses years later. Let's take a deeper look at Gomez's story as well as other notable celebrities who have spoken out about their lupus diagnoses.

Although Selena Gomez's history with lupus began in 2013, she only shared the news with the world in an October 2015 Billboard interview. While appearing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in October 2015, the Rare Beauty founder opened up about why she kept her diagnosis under wraps for two years, saying, "I think it was just very complicated because I didn't understand and then that was something that I did want to keep private until my whole life suddenly wasn't private."

In her chat with Billboard, she shared that her life became tabloid fodder when she checked herself into a rehab facility in January 2014 to undergo treatment for lupus, which included chemotherapy. As Gomez watched tabloids speculate about the reason for her rehab admission, she wanted to speak her truth. However, she decided to remain mum to protect herself, as she explained, "I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again." 

Meanwhile, in another Billboard chat two months later, the Disney Channel alum said that while she appreciated the outpouring of love and support following her lupus diagnosis revelation, she was "a little uncomfortable" with all the attention. Still, she intended to use her influence to raise awareness about the condition. Staying true to her word, Gomez shined a light on a lesser-talked-about aspect of lupus in a December 2019 People interview, revealing that she had experienced panic attacks, depression, and anxiety as side effects. Moreover, after she first spoke about undergoing a kidney transplant for her condition in a September 2017 Instagram post, she continued speaking about the highs and lows of recovery.

Toni Braxton opened up about lupus in 2010, nearly two years after receiving her diagnosis. During an April 2024 episode of the "She MD" podcast, the "Un-Break My Heart" hitmaker shared that she had decided to keep her diagnosis under wraps because her management warned her that it would negatively impact her career. "People get scared around sick celebrities," Braxton elaborated. "And I couldn't get insured. ... You would not get work, because the second I [was] told I had it, I didn't get work at first. No one wanted to put me on a stage." 

The Grammy winner explained that there were doubts about whether she would collapse on stage and bring on insurance troubles. While chatting with CBS News in May 2023, Braxton shared that her lupus diagnosis had ultimately prompted her to be kinder to her body and accept that she couldn't push herself through seven shows a week. However, she also realized that she can continue fulfilling her love for live performance by doing two or three shows in a week. 

Of course, lupus also heavily impacted her life off the stage. Speaking to People in April 2023, the "Breathe Again" singer admitted that in 2022, she kept postponing getting regular health checkups, which she required after countless hospital stays due to lupus. When Braxton finally underwent testing, doctors discovered that she was at risk of having a heart attack because her main coronary artery had an 80% blockage due to lupus complications. Only two days after that screening, she underwent emergency surgery to have a stent installed. 

In 2012, Shannon Boxx went public with her lupus diagnosis after being diagnosed around five years prior. In a July 2012 YouTube video for the Lupus Foundation of America, the decorated soccer player revealed that she had initially only shared her diagnosis with her family because she was afraid of how the news could impact her career. Sharing an example of what happened when she was candid about her health issues, Boxx revealed that a coach had benched her until the end of the year shortly after she told him that she had Sjögren's syndrome, which made her fatigued. 

Although the Olympic gold medalist acknowledged that the coach may have seen some issues with her performance, she was convinced that the decision was due to her diagnosis back in those days. However, she felt comfortable opening up about her lupus diagnosis in 2012 because she knew that retirement was right around the corner and she could use her influence to spread awareness about the autoimmune disease. 

Reflecting on the years she kept her diagnosis a secret in an April 2020 interview with Andscape, the former Chicago Red Stars player shared that she pushed through grueling training sessions in silence. Back then, she had learned to better observe her body so she could understand which movements were worsening her flare-ups. She also candidly admitted that her symptoms had worsened over time, saying, "A lot of things I'm feeling now, again, still joint pain, the fatigue, brain fog is a big one lately. There are definitely days I feel very out of it, and I realize that that's coming from my lupus."

Halsey is one of the many Hollywood millennials who have not stayed silent about their health struggles. Taking to Instagram in June 2024, Halsey shared a video of them massaging their legs while appearing to be in pain. Although the carousel also featured other videos of them undergoing medical treatments, they didn't explicitly mention what condition they had and only tagged two nonprofits: Lupus Research Alliance and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Shortly after, the "Bad at Love" singer shared a follow-up post confirming that they had first been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common form of lupus, in 2022 and then rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Both conditions were in remission at the time.

During an August 2024 appearance on the "She MD" podcast, Halsey shared that they had started noticing that something was amiss with their body shortly after welcoming their son, Ender, in 2021.  At the time, they were so fatigued that they could only stay awake for a few hours at a time and had experienced joint pain, swelling in their facial glands, and rapid weight loss. Still, some doctors said that their fatigue may be on account of their being a new mother, though Halsey felt that their theory was improbable since they had support to help raise their child. 

It was only when they told a doctor that they felt better during their pregnancy rather than after that lupus finally came into the conversation. While appearing on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in October 2024, Halsey shared that they had experienced a lupus flare-up after they pushed themselves too hard for their 2024 VMAs performance. For the singer, the flare-up hit particularly hard because they had believed that they would be able to function without the medication.

Although Kéllé Bryan was diagnosed with lupus in 1998, she only felt comfortable publicly speaking about the autoimmune disease over a decade later. During a September 2016 interview with Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, the former Eternal member shared that lupus had first manifested itself through an inability for her to move her index finger. Shortly afterward, she started experiencing other symptoms of lupus, including mouth ulcers, arthritis that restricted her mobility and movement, and a skin infection that didn't go away with time. 

In September 2015, Bryan told the Mirror UK that she was initially glad to be diagnosed with lupus because her symptoms made her feel as though she was dying. The "Loose Women" panelist also got candid about experiencing a lupus flare-up three months after welcoming her daughter, Kayori Rose, in 2013. Although she began taking her medication shortly after she realized she was having a flare-up, it didn't seem to be doing much, as she continued experiencing slurred speech, blurred vision, and a facial twitch. 

After she had a seizure while pulling into her driveway, she underwent brain scans, which revealed that she had swelling. Subsequently, she was prescribed chemotherapy for her lupus. The British actor opened up about the symptoms she experienced at the time, writing, "I suffered extreme paranoia and anxiety. Everything felt exaggerated and I'd ­interrogate people over what they were saying." She continued, "I was so weak I had to crawl up the stairs and I'd lie awake at night, thoughts racing through my head." Although it took some time, her mental health eventually improved.