Music celebrity Justin Timberlake has been identified with Lyme disease.
The singer-songwriter and actor shared the analysis together with his followers in an Instagram post Thursday that mirrored on the conclusion of his two-year Overlook Tomorrow World Tour.
“As lots of you understand, I am a reasonably personal individual. However as I am reflecting on the tour and competition tour — I wish to let you know a bit of bit about what is going on on with me,” Timberlake wrote.
The singer, who shares two sons with spouse Jessica Biel, wrote that he hesitated to share his analysis however determined to take action in hopes of being extra clear together with his followers.
“Should you’ve skilled this illness or know somebody who has — you then’re conscious: residing with this may be relentlessly debilitating, each mentally and bodily,” Timberlake wrote. “Once I first received the analysis I used to be shocked for certain. However, at the least I might perceive why I’d be onstage and in an enormous quantity of nerve ache or, simply feeling loopy fatigue or illness. I used to be confronted with a private choice. Cease touring? Or, preserve going and determine it out. I made a decision the enjoyment that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my physique was feeling. I am so glad I saved going.”
Justin Timberlake performs onstage throughout the fifth Lollapalooza Paris Pageant, July 20, 2025, in Paris.
Lyvans Boolaky/WireImage/Getty Photos
Lyme illness is a tick-borne infectious illness that, if left untreated, can have an effect on the joints, coronary heart and nervous system, according to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
Most instances of Lyme illness will be successfully handled with a 10- to 14-day course of antibiotics. Nevertheless, in some instances, extended signs could persist after therapy, together with fatigue, physique aches, and issue with focus or reminiscence. This situation is usually known as Put up-Remedy Lyme Illness Syndrome, or PTLDS.
Timberlake, 44, didn’t share additional particulars of his analysis or therapy.
The previous *NSYNC member launched his Overlook Tomorrow World Tour in April and carried out his remaining present on Wednesday in Turkey.
In February, Timberlake canceled his remaining U.S. present of the tour simply hours earlier than he was set to take the stage in Columbus, Ohio, telling followers on social media that he was battling the flu.
Extra just lately, Timberlake confronted criticisms from followers on the European leg of his tour, who accused him of singing too few of his songs dwell throughout his efficiency, and as an alternative calling on the group to sing the lyrics.
In revealing his Lyme illness analysis publicly, Timberlake wrote on social media that he was glad he continued his tour, regardless of the well being struggles he confronted.
“Not solely did I show my psychological tenacity to myself however, I now have so many particular moments with all of you that I’ll always remember,” he wrote. “I used to be reluctant to speak about this as a result of I used to be all the time raised to maintain one thing like this to your self. However I’m making an attempt to be extra clear about my struggles in order that they are not misinterpreted.”
What to find out about Lyme illness
Timberlake isn’t alone in battling Lyme illness, the commonest vector-borne illness within the U.S., in response to the CDC.
Different celebrities who’ve spoken publicly about their struggles with the illness embody comic Amy Schumer, singers Shania Twain and Justin Bieber and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
The sickness, brought on by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to people through tick bites and is extra prone to be contracted within the late spring, summer time and fall. Generally, the tick should be hooked up to the pores and skin for at the least 24 hours earlier than the bacterium will be transmitted.
Signs seem as quickly as three days after the tick chew, and embody fever, headache and fatigue.
Most instances of Lyme illness will be handled with antibiotics over the course of 10 to 14 days. If left untreated, a variety of signs could develop relying on the stage of an infection together with fever, rash, facial paralysis, an irregular heartbeat and arthritis.
Lyme illness is mostly discovered within the Northeast and higher Midwest.
The CDC recommends preventive measures similar to treating your garments and kit with merchandise containing 0.5% permethrin. Additionally they advocate all the time doing a “tick examine” after being outdoors and carrying insect repellent with Deet.
Ticks can even come into the house by way of clothes and pets, so the CDC recommends checking pets for ticks and tumble drying garments on excessive warmth for 10 minutes after coming indoors to kill ticks.
In case you are ever in a scenario the place you’re bitten by a tick, the CDC recommends tugging gently however firmly close to the top of the tick till it’s pulled away from the pores and skin.
People who find themselves outside in areas that will have ticks also needs to conduct a full physique examine once they return, together with checking underneath the arms, in and across the ears, contained in the stomach button, behind the knees, in and across the hair, between the legs and across the waist, the CDC says.
