Celebs who’ve battled Lupus

This year, Sunanda Pushkar’s death has brought forth a lot of discussion about Lupus, an ailment she suffered from. Pushkar wasn’t alone though. A number of Western celebs have also been diagnosed with this auto-immune disorder...
Selena Gomez
One of the most recent celebrities, who was reportedly diagnosed with Lupus was Selena Gomez, which was the reason she cancelled her tour late last year.Sources close to the singer revealed that Gomez was diagnosed a couple of years ago and had suffered multiple flares recently, which caused her facial swelling, extreme fatigue, headaches and joint pain. The singer has now taken some time off to address the disease and look after herself.
Toni Braxton
R&B singer Toni Braxton revealed that she was suffering from Lupus almost three years ago and does her best to create awareness about the disease. The star has often spoken about the disorder with one of her tweets reading, “Lupus medication actually causes most women to gain weight. But we’re still fabulous! I’m going to work it on out.”
Seal
It’s hard not to notice the scars on Seal’s face. These, say experts, are a result of discoid lupus erythematosus — a type of lupus that involves just the skin. This ailment usually causes sores on the face and scalp but can affect the skin anywhere on the body and also cause hair loss. Such patients are advised against a lot of exposure to the sun.
Nick Cannon
Mariah Carey’s better half, Nick Cannon was diagnosed with lupus kidney disease (also called lupus nephritis) in January 2012 after experiencing fatigue, swelling in his knees, trouble while breathing and pain in his kidneys. “I am working past it; I’m working through it. I’m a strong believer in faith. It was scary at the time, but I’m 100% now. My doctor was saying that my work is going to kill me — and he’s not joking. I think part of the reason why my health did kind of deteriorate was because I wasn’t resting a lot and I was doing too much. I was overworking myself, working out too much,” said Cannon about his disease.
Lady Gaga
Four years ago, popstar Lady Gaga revealed that she had tested borderline positive for lupus — meaning that although she had a positive test, she didn’t have all the symptoms of the disease. Lupus is prevalent in Gaga’s family and the singer experiences occasional heart palpitations. Experts have told her that she needs to take good care of herself to avoid developing the disorder.
Michael Jackson
Although never officially confirmed, there are several reports that say that deceased popstar Michael Jackson suffered from Lupus, which could possibly explain why he avoided the sun and his alleged drug dependence.