Music celebrity Justin Timberlake has been recognized with Lyme illness.
The singer-songwriter and actor shared the analysis along with his followers in an Instagram submit Thursday that mirrored on the conclusion of his two-year Neglect Tomorrow World Tour.
“As a lot of you understand, I am a reasonably non-public particular person. However as I am reflecting on the tour and competition tour — I wish to inform you 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 along with his followers.
“In case you’ve skilled this illness or know somebody who has — then you definately’re conscious: dwelling with this may be relentlessly debilitating, each mentally and bodily,” Timberlake wrote. “Once I first bought the analysis I used to be shocked for certain. However, no less than I may perceive why I might be onstage and in a large quantity of nerve ache or, simply feeling loopy fatigue or illness. I used to be confronted with a private choice. Cease touring? Or, hold 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 stored going.”
Justin Timberlake performs onstage throughout the fifth Lollapalooza Paris Pageant, July 20, 2025, in Paris.
Lyvans Boolaky/WireImage/Getty Photographs
Lyme illness is a tick-borne infectious illness that, if left untreated, can have an effect on the joints, coronary heart and nervous system, in response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
Most circumstances of Lyme illness will be successfully handled with a 10- to 14-day course of antibiotics. Nevertheless, in some circumstances, extended signs could persist after remedy, together with fatigue, physique aches, and issue with focus or reminiscence. This situation is typically known as Put up-Therapy Lyme Illness Syndrome, or PTLDS.
Timberlake, 44, didn’t share additional particulars of his analysis or remedy.
The previous *NSYNC member launched his Neglect Tomorrow World Tour in April and carried out his ultimate present on Wednesday in Turkey.
In February, Timberlake canceled his ultimate 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 lately, Timberlake confronted criticisms from followers on the European leg of his tour, who accused him of singing too few of his songs reside throughout his efficiency, and as a substitute 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 don’t seem to be misinterpreted.”
What to learn about Lyme illness
Timberlake is just not alone in battling Lyme illness, the most typical vector-borne illness within the U.S., in response to the CDC.
Different celebrities who’ve spoken publicly about their struggles with the illness embrace comic Amy Schumersingers Shania Twain and Justin Bieber and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
The sickness, attributable to 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. Normally, the tick have to be connected to the pores and skin for no less than 24 hours earlier than the bacterium will be transmitted.
Signs seem as quickly as three days after the tick chew, and embrace fever, headache and fatigue.
Most circumstances 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 corresponding to treating your garments and kit with merchandise containing 0.5% permethrin. Additionally they suggest all the time doing a “tick examine” after being exterior and carrying insect repellent with Deet.
Ticks can even come into the house via 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 might be 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 outdoor in areas that will have ticks must also conduct a full physique examine once they return, together with checking beneath 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.
