Justin Timberlake reveals Lyme disease diagnosis
July 31 (UPI) -- Pop singer and actor Justin Timberlake has revealed that he is suffering from a "debilitating" case of Lyme disease during his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, he announced on social media.
In an Instagram post Thursday, Timberlake said he wanted to "shed some light" on his battle and what he has been going through since his recent diagnosis.
"Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating both mentally and physically," he wrote in the social media post. "When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or just feeling crazy fatigue and sickness."
Timberlake, 44, who is typically reserved about sharing personal details, said he was faced with the difficult decision to stop touring or push through the pain the disease was causing, and ultimately decided to stay on the road because "the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling."
"I'm so glad I kept going," he wrote.
The Grammy-winning performer also said in his post that he wanted to help others who may be experiencing symptoms of the disease.
Lyme disease is typically transmitted through a tick bite and its symptoms can include flu-like conditions, dizziness, chest pain, palpitations, arthritis, facial nerve paralysis, ongoing joint pain, fatigue, depression and other neurological, rheumatological and cardiovascular symptoms.
Timberlake began his most recent tour inApril 2024, and performed the final show Wednesday in Istanbul.
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