Justin Timberlake revealed he has Lyme disease in an emotional Instagram post. Despite serious symptoms, he finished his tour, crediting family and fans. He called the experience “the stuff of legend.”
American singer, Justin Timberlake has announced that he was battling Lyme disease during his recently wrapped up Forget Tomorrow world tour. He called the illness “relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.”
Lyme disease is transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks. It can cause flu-like conditions, neurological problems, joint pain and other symptoms. In the vast majority of cases, Lyme disease is successfully treated with antibiotics.
The singer, who just wrapped his Forget Tomorrow tour in Turkey on Wednesday, said he considered ending the tour when diagnosed, but wrote that he “decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”
Timberlake cancelled and postponed multiple shows throughout the tour’s run, citing health issues, including bronchitis and laryngitis. Six of his US shows were postponed from October and November to February. He ultimately cancelled the last show of the US leg of the tour in Ohio due to the flu in February.
Gigi Hadid’s mother, Yolanda Hadid, a former supermodel, also suffers from Lyme disease. However, since her symptoms were dismissed for several years as chronic stress syndrome, her disease worsened and took a severe toll on her nervous system and cognitive functions. It wasn’t until 2012 that she was diagnosed with chronic neurological Lyme Disease.
Two of her children, Bella and Anwar Hadid, have also been diagnosed with Lyme Disease.
Justin Timberlake’s Lyme disease diagnosis
The 44-year-old shared the news on Instagram right after wrapping up his two-year-long Forget Tomorrow tour, which ended in Turkey. “It’s not an easy task to try to contextualise the whirlwind of touring, but I will try,” he wrote, before thanking everyone who made the tour a solid chapter in his career. “This has been the most fun, emotional, gratifying, physically demanding, and at times, gruelling experience. I’ve been doing this for 30+ years,” Timberlake said. “And I’ve given all that I have to this. I couldn’t have done it without my family, friends, The TN Kids, and all of YOUR support.”
The Cry Me a River crooner then revealed, “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.” He said he was shocked at first, but the diagnosis finally explained why he was on stage feeling sharp nerve pain, complete exhaustion, or getting hit with a sudden round of sickness. He came close to ending the tour early, but kept going. “Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically,” he said. “I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”
He admitted he was reluctant to open up, having been raised to keep personal struggles private. “But I’m trying to be more transparent about my struggles so they’re not misinterpreted.” The singer continued, “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.”
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium often carried by black-legged ticks, also called deer ticks, that live in woodlands throughout North America and Europe.
Exactly how often Lyme disease strikes isn’t clear.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites insurance records suggesting 4,76,000 people are treated for Lyme disease in the US each year.
Lyme disease: Symptoms
Symptoms can include widespread pain, fatigue, and muscle weakness. In serious cases, patients could experience damage to the tissues, joints and immune system.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Santosh Aggarwal, senior consultant, internal medicine at Marengo Asia Hospitals, Faridabad, stated that the disease is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of black-legged ticks (also known as deer ticks) that carry the Borrelia bacteria. These ticks are commonly found in wooded or grassy areas, and they can latch onto humans and animals, transmitting the bacteria during their feeding process.
Depending on the stage of infection, the symptoms of Lyme disease can vary. Moreover, it can also mimic other illnesses, making it challenging to diagnose. Dr Aggarwal revealed that it generally progresses in 3 stages:
1. Early localised stage: Lyme disease usually occurs within 3 to 32 days after a tick bite. Early symptoms may include:
- A painful red, circular rash with a clear centre (erythema migraines). The rash can expand over time, resembling a bull’s-eye pattern.
- Preferred sites are the thigh, groin and axilla.
2. Disseminated infection: The symptoms are
- Rash
- Fever
- Chills
- Severe headache
- Neck stiffness
- Profound weakness
- Muscle and joint aches
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Eye involvement
- Cough
3. Persistent infection: If Lyme disease remains untreated for several months or years, it can lead to more severe and long-term symptoms:
- Severe joint pain and swelling (frank arthritis)
- Memory, mood and sleep disorders
- Nerve pain (peripheral neuropathy)
Lyme disease: Treatment
Early antibiotic treatment is crucial, but it can be hard for people to tell if they were bitten by ticks, some as small as a pin.
Untreated Lyme can cause severe arthritis and damage the heart and nervous system. Some people have lingering symptoms even after treatment.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria via the bite of the infected deer ticks. It can trigger symptoms ranging from flu-like conditions and fatigue to neurological complications and joint pain. Most cases are treatable with antibiotics although recovery can take time, especially for those who are left undiagnosed in the early stages. Untreated Lyme disease can cause severe arthritis and damage the heart and nervous system. Some people have lingering symptoms even after the treatment Is through. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites insurance records suggest that 476,000 people are treated for Lyme disease in the United States of America each year.
Justin’s ended his social media post, “Nothing is more powerful than your unconditional love.” He further addressed his wife, Jessica Biel and their two children, Silas and Phin.
In the past, Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, and Avril Lavigne have all revealed their battle with Lyme disease. Timberlake, who led the boy band *NSYNC, kicked off his tour in April 2024, just a month after dropping his album Everything I Thought It Was. The singer has earned 10 Grammys as a solo artist and remains one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.
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