Celebrities most sensitive secrets tend to deal with disease or illness, with a lot of
stars wanting to keep their ailments away from the public eye in order to battle their
condition like any human would want to, privately.
However, on the other hand, celebrities have a platform not many of us do, and it’s important
to raise awareness and get the message out about screenings and testings that could prevent
certain illnesses.So today on Top 10 Beyond The Screen, I’m going to be counting down
our list of the Top 10 Celebrities With Chronic Illnesses - Part 3.
Let’s jump in.
10 Tom Hanks - Diabetes Tom Hanks is one of the most famous actors
in cinematic history, having won multiple Oscars and Golden Globes throughout his long
career.
It is hard for him to keep anything out of the public eye, which was why it was such
a shock to fans when we learned back in 2013 that he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
According to the actor, when he was diagnosed the doctor told him, I quote, “You know
those high blood sugar numbers you’ve been dealing with since you were 36, well you’ve
graduated.
You’ve got type 2 diabetes, young man.”
Tom also went on to state that, despite not being consistently heavy, gaining and losing
large amounts of weight for film roles is likely to have been a factor.
He also stated that when he needed to gain weight for roles, he was living on junk food
and taking very little exercise.
9 Gene Wilder - Alzheimer’s and Lymphoma Gene Wilder was beloved actor who sadly passed
away on August 29th, 2016 at the age of 83.
He was known for iconic films such as Young Frankenstein, The Producers, and Blazing Saddles,
but no role will ever be as iconic as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
back in 1971.
Now, prior to his death, Wilder had retreated away from the public eye, with the large majority
of people having no idea whatsoever that he was battling Alzheimer’s and Lymphoma.
Before he passed away, he explained that he kept his illness secret from the public so
that if kids saw him and pointed him out as Willy Wonka, he wouldn’t have to trouble
them.
He wanted to keep the fantasy alive.
8 David Bowie - Liver Cancer When legendary singer and actor David Bowie
passed away on January 10th, 2016, it was a shock to the entire world, with music fans
being especially surprised, mostly because no one knew Bowie was even sick.
Just two days after his 69th birthday and the release of the album Blackstar, Bowie
passed away from liver cancer in his New York City apartment.
He had been diagnosed 18 months earlier but had no made the news of his sickness public.
He did this because, to quote the legend himself, he wanted to go without any fuss.
Following Bowie’s de0ath, fans gathered at street shrines, and at Bowie’s birthplace
of Brixton, South London, where a mural is placed that shows him in his Aladdin Sane
character.
7 Bret Michaels - Heart Disease Bret Michaels is best known for being the
lead singer of the glam metal band Poison who have sold over 40 million records worldwide
and 15 million records in the United States alone.
In 2010, however, Bret Michael suffered a mini stroke caused by a hole in his heart.
Mini strokes are typically caused by a blood clot, according to the American Stroke Association.
To repair the hole in his heart, doctors inserted a catheter into a vein in Michaels’ groin,
and guided a device up into his heart, where it will stay permanently to stop abnormal
blood flow between the two chambers of the heart.
Without treatment, the singer could have been at risk for developing blood clots and having
another stroke.
Statistics show that 795,000 Americans suffer from a stroke each year.
However, the difference between a stroke and a mini stroke is that a mini stroke’s blockage
of blood flow to the brain is temporary, leaving no permanent damage.
6 Aaron Carter - Hiatal Hernia Former teenage sensation, Aaron Carter, known
for music such as I Want Candy, Aaron’s Party, and I’m All About You, is another
celebrity on our list who sadly suffers from a chronic illness.
The former singer revealed that he was diagnosed with a Hiatal Hernia.
For those who don’t know, a Hiatal Hernia occurs when the upper part of your stomach
bulges through the large muscle separating your abdomen and chest.
Now, because of this, Aaron’s appetite is affected, which in turn leaves him malnourished
and restricts him from gaining weight.
5 Seal - Discoid Lupus Erythematosus Arguably one of the world’s greatest singers,
Seal is known for hits such as Kiss From A Rose, Stand By Me, Crazy, and Fly Like An
Eagle.
He is an incredible artist, and a trailblazer in the Soul and R&B genre.
Now, Seal is known for his music yes, but he’s also known for the unique scars he
has on his face.
Now, this is actually a result of a severe form of lupus that causes intense inflammation
and skin lesions around the neck, face, and scalp.
4 George Clooney- Chronic Pain Hollywood royalty, George Clooney, is famous
for starring in some of the best critically acclaimed movies, including: The Ides of March,
Up in the Air, Michael Clayton, The Descendants, Ocean’s Eleven, and Burn After Reading.
However, did you know George Clooney suffers from Chronic Pain?
According to reports, it all started back in 2005 after the actor sustained serious
injuries on the set of Syrianna.
While filming a scene in which his character was being tortured, Clooney fell off a chair
and split open his head.
However, the injury was much worse than he initially thought.
Clooney later learned that he had torn his dura -- the outer layer around his spinal
cord -- and fluid was leaking out.
He went on to have surgery on Christmas Day in 2005, but he’s battled chronic pain ever
since.
3 Gabrielle Union - Adenomyosis Gabrielle Union is best known for starring
in films such as Bring It On, Bad Boys II, 10 Things I Hate About You, and She’s All
That.
However, this popular actress revealed a few years back that she was diagnosed with Adenomyosis.
For those who don’t know, Adenomyosis is a condition in which the inner lining of the
uterus breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus.
It can cause menstrual cramps, lower abdominal pressure, and bloating before periods, and
can result in heavier periods.
Now, the condition is quite common, and is often diagnosed in middle-aged women and women
who have had children.
Some studies also suggest that women who have had prior uterine surgery may be at risk for
the condition.
Speaking at the BlogHer conference in New York City, Gabrielle Union said, I quote,
“Towards the end of my fertility journey I finally got some answers, because everyone
said, ‘You’re a career woman, you’ve prioritized your career, you waited too long
and now you’re just too old to have a kid -- and that’s on you for wanting a career.’
The reality is I actually have adenomyosis.”
However, after multiple miscarriages and many rounds of IVF, Union had a baby via a surrogate
last year.
2 Hugh Jackman - Skin Cancer In 2013, Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman posted
photos to social media that showed him with a large bandage affixed to his nose, with
a caption that read, “An example of what happens when you don’t wear sunscreen.
Basal Cell.
The mildest form of cancer but serious, nonetheless.
Please use sunscreen and get regular check-ups.”
Basal cell carcinoma is an uncontrolled growth which can look like an open sore or a red
patch, or even appear as a shiny bump or scar.
According to some reports, this type of cancer is “usually caused by a combination of cumulative
and intense, occasional sun exposure”.
Since his initial diagnosis he’s been treated five times and had cancerous cells removed
from his nose and shoulder.
However, what makes Jackman an absolutely incredible actor and a man of his art, is
that during the pitch for The Greatest Showman, Jackman was advised by doctors to not sing
because there was a chance his stitches by tear, however, once in the room and once the
music began to play, Jackman ignored warnings and sang nonetheless, and in turn got the
movie green-lit.
1 Angelina Jolie - BRCA Hollywood royalty, Angelina Jolie is fan favorite,
and has been throughout the majority of her career.
She is known for works such as Girl, Interrupted, Maleficent, Changelining, Lara Croft, and
The Bone Collector.
Unfortunately, Jolie is yet another actress on our list who suffers from a chronic illness.
On February 16th, 2013, Jolie underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning
she had an 87% risk of developing breast cancer due to a defective BRCA1 gene.
Her maternal family history warranted genetic testing for the mutation: her mother, actress
Marcheline Bertrand, had breast cancer and died from ovarian cancer, while her grandmother
died from ovarian cancer.
Following the mastectomy, the actress had reconstructive surgery involving implants
and allografts, however, two years later in March 2015, test revealed possible signs of
early ovarian cancer, so Jolie underwent most procedures, this time a preventive salpingo-oophorectomy,
as she had a 50% risk of developing ovarian cancer due to the same genetic anomaly.
Due to the surgery, this brought on premature menopause.
Well, there we have it!
Do you guys agree with our list?
Were there any celebrities that we missed?
Leave us all your thoughts and feelings in the comments down below and perhaps we can
do a part 4!
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see ya later.