Justin Timberlake was ill for 'months' before Lyme disease diagnosis
The 44-year-old singer revealed last week he had contracted the tick-borne condition - which can cause symptoms ranging from nerve pain and fatigue to cognitive difficulties and chronic illness - and insiders have told how he initially thought the exhaustion and pain he had been experiencing were part of getting older and the demands of his two-year Forget Tomorrow world tour.
The source told People magazine: "He's not 20 anymore. But when his symptoms worsened, he realised something deeper was going on.
"He pushed through for months before finally getting answers. The Lyme disease diagnosis brought clarity to a series of unexplained issues that he's been quietly dealing with."
The SexyBack singer's wife, Jessica Biel "felt like something was off" with Justin's health and "encouraged him to get checked out.
The source added: "She could tell that he wasn't himself. She's incredibly supportive."
Now his tour is over, Justin - who has sons Silas, 10, and four-year-old Phineas with Jessica - is planning to focus on his health and take time to rest and recover.
The insider said: "He's taking it seriously. The plan is to rest, spend time with Jess and the kids and do everything he can to heal.
"He loved touring and being back onstage, but he's also relieved it's over. Now he can focus on his health."
Justin's *NSYNC bandmate Chris Kirkpatrick, 53, recently praised his "little bro" for battling through his illness to keep his tour goinng.
He wrote on Instagram: "Watching him battle Lyme disease day in and day out, while still getting on that stage night after night, was something I'll never forget.
"The long days, the travel, the exhaustion — and yet, he never gave up. No complaints, no excuses — just heart, grit and pure determination. That kind of resilience is rare.
"I couldn't be more proud to call him my friend. Tour life is already a grind, but doing it while fighting Lyme disease? That's superhero status. Here's to strength, perseverance, and one hell of a tour. Love you, little bro!"
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Naked Gun co-stars Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson romance: His son approves of the new relationship
Liam Neeson's son approves of his relationship with Pamela Anderson. The 73-year-old actor and his 58-year-old Naked Gun co-star star are believed to have started dating after meeting on set. When they appeared on talk show Watch What Happens Live to promote the film on Sunday, host Andy Cohen — who was a close friend of Neeson's late wife Natasha Richardson — admitted he was a big fan of the new relationship. 'The question that I'm not asking the two of you tonight is what's going on between the two of you,' Cohen said. 'But I do just want to say, as a very old friend of (Liam's), all of your friends are very much stanning this relationship, as the kids say.' Neeson then put his hand on Anderson's shoulder and she reached to squeeze it. Cohen asked Neeson's son, Daniel, who was sitting in the audience: 'Right Danny?' To which he replied: 'Yes.' On Friday, Anderson shared a series of photos of herself and Neeson on Instagram. 'The Naked Gun is finally in theatres! Bring your friends, family, lovers ... whoever ... just go and have a laugh ... it's good for you!,' she captioned the pictures. 'I'll see you there (white heart and popcorn emojis).' Daniel, 28, commented on the post with a string of emojis including hands up, fire and white hearts. Richardson's sister, Joely Richardson, also commented on the post with red heart emojis. Cohen recently admitted he was happy for Neeson over his budding romance with Anderson because he can see similarities between the former Baywatch star and Richardson, who died in a skiing accident in 2009, aged 45. Speaking on his SiriusXM radio show last week, Cohen said: 'Natasha was a dear friend of mine and I'm gonna tell you something. I, and all of the friends in this circle, are very much stanning whatever this is.' 'As I was telling him at the premiere party, I go, 'Liam, she is an independent woman just like Tash was. She loves to cook. She has her own thing going on. She has two boys.'' Cohen insists 'this just works' as Anderson has been through a lot with her sex tape scandal and whirlwind marriage to ex-husband Tommy Lee — with whom she has sons Brandon, 29, and Dylan, 27. 'She is a formidable human being, Pamela Anderson. She really is. What she's been through and how she kind of reclaimed herself and redefined herself,' the talk show host added. Neeson — who had Michael, 30, and Daniel with his late wife — previously confessed to being 'madly in love' with Pamela as he gushed about working with her. 'With Pamela, first off, I'm madly in love with her,' Neeson told PEOPLE. 'She's just terrific to work with. I can't compliment her enough, I'll be honest with you. No huge ego. She just comes in to do the work. She's funny and so easy to work with.'
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Sharon Stone claims she had a heated 'argument' with Michael Douglas before Basic Instinct
Sharon Stone had an "argument" with Michael Douglas before they starred in Basic Instinct together. The pair featured as the leads in the 1992 erotic thriller but she recalled that they had previously got into a row at the Cannes Film Festival which meant they didn't do a screen test together. In an interview with Business Insider, Sharon said: "(He) did not want to put his bare a** out on the screen with an unknown - and I understood that. "He wouldn't even test with me, but that was also for a different reason: We had an argument prior to that." The 67-year-old actress continued: "A bunch of us were all sitting, and he was talking about someone and their kids. I really, really knew this person he was talking about. "So I said something and he responded to me, saying, 'What the f*** do you know?' It was in regard to a father-child relationship. "Clearly, it triggered him. So he screams this at me across a whole group of people. And I'm not the person who goes, 'Oh, excuse me, superstar.' I pushed back my chair and said to him, 'Let's step outside.' That's how we first met. "I explained to him what the f*** I knew about this family he was speaking about, and that I was best friends with the children and the parent. And then we parted, I wouldn't say as best friends, but amicably. "So, fast forward to casting Basic Instinct, I don't think he wanted me to be his co-star." However, Michael's representative Allen Burry claims that the Wall Street star, 80, is "very surprised" by Sharon's claims as "he doesn't remember any argument in that timeframe" between the pair. Burry told People: "He actually only remembers seeing and meeting Sharon for the first time when he saw (director) Paul Verhoeven's screen test of her for Basic Instinct and (Michael) said, 'Absolutely, she's the one.'" He added that Douglas "definitely spent time" with Stone at Cannes but that was when they were promoting Basic Instinct. Burry said: "And by the time they'd done the movie, they were friends." Sharon added that the previously fraught dynamic between the duo "worked great" once they got on set as she was "not rattled" by his fiery temper. The Casino star said: "That was interesting for the character because Michael has a temper, and I didn't care. That worked well in our dynamic." Sharon stressed that the argument is in the past and that the pair are now good pals. She said: "Eventually, we became the greatest of friends, to this day. "I admire him tremendously."
Perth Now
17 hours ago
- Perth Now
Justin Timberlake was ill for 'months' before Lyme disease diagnosis
Justin Timberlake was ill for "months" before being diagnosed with Lyme disease. The 44-year-old singer revealed last week he had contracted the tick-borne condition - which can cause symptoms ranging from nerve pain and fatigue to cognitive difficulties and chronic illness - and insiders have told how he initially thought the exhaustion and pain he had been experiencing were part of getting older and the demands of his two-year Forget Tomorrow world tour. The source told People magazine: "He's not 20 anymore. But when his symptoms worsened, he realised something deeper was going on. "He pushed through for months before finally getting answers. The Lyme disease diagnosis brought clarity to a series of unexplained issues that he's been quietly dealing with." The SexyBack singer's wife, Jessica Biel "felt like something was off" with Justin's health and "encouraged him to get checked out. The source added: "She could tell that he wasn't himself. She's incredibly supportive." Now his tour is over, Justin - who has sons Silas, 10, and four-year-old Phineas with Jessica - is planning to focus on his health and take time to rest and recover. The insider said: "He's taking it seriously. The plan is to rest, spend time with Jess and the kids and do everything he can to heal. "He loved touring and being back onstage, but he's also relieved it's over. Now he can focus on his health." Justin's *NSYNC bandmate Chris Kirkpatrick, 53, recently praised his "little bro" for battling through his illness to keep his tour goinng. He wrote on Instagram: "Watching him battle Lyme disease day in and day out, while still getting on that stage night after night, was something I'll never forget. "The long days, the travel, the exhaustion — and yet, he never gave up. No complaints, no excuses — just heart, grit and pure determination. That kind of resilience is rare. "I couldn't be more proud to call him my friend. Tour life is already a grind, but doing it while fighting Lyme disease? That's superhero status. Here's to strength, perseverance, and one hell of a tour. Love you, little bro!"
