Celebrities with links to Lupus
Paralympic Equestrian Dale Dedrick was diagnosed with Lupus during her time at the University of Michigan causing her multiple joint deformities, muscle weakness of an inflammatory nature, and significant heart disease. She retired in 1992 as an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Internal Medicine.
Dale took part in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Their original Manager, Andretta Tillman, died of lupus in 1997 and Beyonce's father, Matthew Knowles took over.
Dido’s father, William Armstrong, almost died after being admitted to the Middlesex Hospital with severe lupus which lead to septicaemia and liver failure. He spent 5 months in intensive care before going on to make a remarkable recovery.
The doctor described him as “one of the most severely ill people I have known to have survived."
American Rapper/producer Jay Dilla (or Jay Dee), died in February 2006 aged 32 from lupus complications. He had been diagnosed with lupus for 3 years and had been on kidney dialysis for 2 years.
Kelly ‘s career began as an international model. Her acting career then blossomed as she landed a recurring role on General Hospital. She's even rubbed shoulders with Mike Myers as one of the infamous ‘femme bots’ for Austin Powers!
Ava DuVernay is an American filmmaker and film distributor. She won the directing award in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film Middle of Nowhere, becoming the first black woman to win the award
She is the creator and Executive Producer of Queen Sugar, she chose to give the character Violet (known as ‘Aunt Vi’) the autoimmune disease lupus and revealed for the first time that she too had lupus.
She added “I’ve been in remission for 20 years, but I did want to make sure that we create spaces to talk about it. We wanted to really give that chronic illness to Vi and show you can live and you can battle through it, you can continue to thrive, but you have to manage it.”
Actress June Easton died on 2nd April 2005 aged 72 from complications of lupus. She was the wife of actor Robert Easton. She was a dialect coach at her husband’s firm “Henry Higgins of Hollywood inc”.
Robert Easton is considered one of the top dialect coaches in the film industry, teaching over 80 different dialects. June appeared in several films with her husband including: Paint your wagon, Tai-pan and Timber Tramps.
Tomiko Fraser is an American actress and fashion model, well known as one of the faces of cosmetics company Maybelline. Here sister, Shneequa, has lupus which has affected her brain and central nervous system.
Cindy Frey, wife of Glen Frey (formerly of the band the Eagles, deceased 2015), has lupus.
She said "Lupus has been raging through our population of young women, cutting short the opportunity for them to reach their full potential, often it targets the very driven woman who has so much to give. Lupus LA has been a front-runner in the fight to cure this disease by raising funds for research and supporting patients."
Hugh Gaitskell was a British politician, leader of the Labour Party from 1955. He died after a sudden attack of SLE in 1963, aged 56, and left an opening for Harold Wilson in the party leadership.
The abrupt and unexpected nature of his death led to speculation that foul play was involved, the most popular conspiracy theory involving a KGB plot to ensure that Wilson (supposedly a KGB agent himself) became prime minister. This claim was given new life by Peter Wright’s controversial 1987 book Spycatcher
Actor James Garner (1928 - 2014) whose daughter Gigi suffers from lupus starred in a Public Service Campaign to alert women to the dangers of lupus. He said “Lupus has scarred my youngest daughter's life”
In 2015 Selena Gomez said she was receiving chemotherapy after being diagnosed with lupus. Concerns about her health were first raised in 2013, when she cancelled a tour of Asia and Australia.She later sought treatment at the Dawn at the Meadows rehab facility, with her representatives denying she was dealing with substance abuse. But the singer has revealed her break was "really about" her lupus diagnosis, adding: "I could have had a stroke."
In an interview with Billboard, the actress-singer, explained that she underwent chemotherapy for the autoimmune disease amid intense fan and media speculation (some reports said she was in rehab for addiction, adding insult to injury) about why she was keeping a low profile.“I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy. That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke,” Gomez told the magazine. “I wanted so badly to say, ‘You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy. You’re a–holes.’ I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.”
Grammy nominated singer Halsey said she's been treated for conditions including endometriosis, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, Sjogren's syndrome and mast cell activation syndrome. She hinted she was now also being treated for lupus and leukaemia by tagging the Lupus Research Alliance as well as the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society in her latest post.
Halsey has spoken previously about her poor health, saying: "I've kind of been sick most of my adult life".
In a series of photos and videos, she's seen in hospital saying she feels "like an old lady". One of the videos shared by Halsey show her receiving treatment in a hospital and in her new song, ‘The End’, she sings about "poison" in her blood, starting treatment. and about how "every couple of years now, the doctor says I'm sick".
The artist will be donating proceeds from the song to Lupus Research Alliance and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
June 2024
Actor Ian Harding appears as Ezra Fitz in the USA TV series, Pretty Little Liars. He’s also a huge animal rights activist and raises money for lupus in his spare time.
Ian Harding’s mother, Mary, was diagnosed with lupus in 1994, after graduating with a degree in nursing from Walter Reed Military Medical Centre in Virginia. Ian was 7 at the timeand unaware that the disease was life-threatening. Neither side of his family had a history of lupus.
Despite the obstacles Mary faced, she continued to work full-time as a cardiology nurse at Walter Reed. She was determined not to let her illness affect her children’s lives. Mary was in full support of Ian choosing to act with his life but urged him to attend a university where he could study acting technique.
Leslie Hunt is a professional musician and composer and previous contestant on American Idol 2007. Leslie was diagnosed with lupus at 7 years old and says it has been the toughest obstacle in her life
The children's author died on 20th October 2010, at the age of 85 at her home in Newcastle. She was best known for the Amazon adventure tale Journey to the River Sea, winner of the Nestlé children's gold award and shortlisted for the Carnegie medal, and for her funny, magical stories for younger children, including The Secret of Platform 13 and The Great Ghost Rescue.
Although she had battled poor health in latter years and was suffering from lupus, Eva continued to write. The last of her "romps", The Ogre of Oglefort, was published just a few months prior to her death and was shortlisted for the Guardian children's fiction prize and the Roald Dahl funny prize. "The thing you have to do is keep writing, the habit is too ingrained, you can't stop," she said at the time.
Actress, Author and Reality TV star Jess Impiazzi was diagnosed with lupus in July 2023. Jess’s crippling symptoms started in January, one month after she had her breast implants replaced when one of them ruptured.
She said "My body was just completely failing me and I couldn’t get any answers. I was tired all the time, aching all over and then this angry rash appeared on my chest and face. One day I started coughing up blood, which was incredibly scary. I thought it was stomach cancer. Then I started panicking that it was multiple autoimmune."
From CBS News ”It reveals a rare court affidavit detailing several skin conditions that Jackson treats including Jackson’s use of a powerful bleaching cream called Benoquin, because, according to his maid, “he does not like being black and he feels that blacks are not liked as much as people of other races.”
The affidavit also shows that Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and discoid lupus, which causes skin blotches”.
After months of experiencing a ‘mysterious illness’ Third Rock actor Kristen Johnston was diagnosed with lupus myelitis (a type of Lupus that afflicts the spinal cord).
It was only after her official diagnosis that the actress took to Facebook in December 2013 to share with her fans the news and breadth of her symptoms, which included 'full body muscle weakness.' 'I've been really, really sick since early September... Full body muscle weakness to the extent that just walking difficult, stairs impossible and I even need a neck brace to hold my head up,' the actress shared online.
The symptoms became so much that Kristen - who currently stars as divorce attorney Holly Franklin on the TV Land comedy The Exes - was forced to take some time off from her role.
Michael Bakari Jordan is an American actor. He is known for his film roles as shooting victim Oscar Grant in the drama Fruitvale Station, boxer Adonis Creed in the Rocky sequel film Creed and main antagonist Erik Killmonger in Black Panther.
Michael's mother, Donna, has lupus. He said:
“My mom’s always smiling even when I know she’s not feeling her best. She just moved up to Los Angeles a couple months ago, so she’s closer to me now.”
Michael is also involved in the fight to find a cure for lupus and has hosted events to raise funds for lupus research including the MBJAM event which he created in 2017..
