While the celebrity world is trying to make us believe they are being more realistic than ever before, people have started questioning the truth behind that. They wonder whether celebrities are truly being authentic, or if it’s just another marketing strategy to fill that bank account.
In recent years, we have seen a rising trend of celebrities being diagnosed with Lyme disease. Whether it’s Bella Hadid, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2013, or Justin Timberlake, who was only recently diagnosed. Even Justin Bieber was diagnosed with it in 2019.
Lyme disease is a disease caused by ticks. It can lead to headaches, fever, chills and later on even cardiac or neurological disorders.
The question at hand is whether that is the actual condition celebrities are dealing with, or whether it might be a more acceptable way of trying to hide their mental struggles.
It is very important for me to make clear, though, that I in no way wish to deny anyone their struggles, disease or own reality of pain. I want to focus on what this debate tells us about society, not question whether the aforementioned celebrities are struggling either physically or mentally. Lyme disease is a serious condition that should be treated with respect and concern.
The reason why people speculate that Lyme disease isn’t the actual issue celebrities are struggling with, but rather a cover-up story, is that it is not very easily diagnosed. The symptoms are quite general and the tests for it aren’t all that reliable. Therefore it’s also often misdiagnosed.
It is not a rare disease, but it is in fact surprising that it is so common in celebrities. Especially since many celebrities who are diagnosed with it have struggled with their mental health prior to this. Bella Hadid has spoken about her struggles with anxiety and depression before. Justin Timberlake was speculated to be struggling as well, after he had begun his tour that he was very harshly criticized for. Justin Bieber has also been open about the struggles he faced with being a child star prior to being diagnosed.
We all know that mental health is an important issue and should be taken seriously, but in that industry? It has rarely ever been about the celebrities’ health, and rather about making money off them.
While we have seen a trend of celebrities trying to be transparent, talking more openly about their struggles, it can feel sort of fake. Especially since we have seen that trend sort of reverse every now and then. Trends change, authenticity shouldn’t.
Therefore it does sort of make sense that these big celebrities don’t want to risk becoming outdated or risk their status, they might just be planning for the future. And sadly, mental health isn’t always as respected as physical illness.
Whilst these accusations might be false, it is still worth wondering whether our society is as open, tolerant and accepting as we sometimes assume it is, and if we actually treat each other with respect, even in cases where we can’t understand one another. This is not just an issue in the celebrity world, but rather one that we should all understand and be aware of even in our personal lives.
