Justin Timberlake reveals Lyme disease diagnosis, calling it "relentlessly debilitating"

Justin Timberlake has revealed he has Lyme disease and opened up about the health challenges that have come with it.

In a post on Instagram Thursday, the pop singer, who wrapped up his two-year tour yesterday, called the tick-borne illness "relentlessly debilitating." 

"If you've experienced this disease or know someone who has — then you're aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically," Timberlake, 44, wrote. "When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness."

Early symptoms of a Lyme disease can include headache, fatigue, muscle aches, joint aches or stiffness, chills, fever and swollen lymph nodes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment is important to prevent the illness from getting worse. 

It is unclear when Timberlake was officially diagnosed, but he said it made him question whether to stop touring, but decided against it. 

"I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I'm so glad I kept going," he wrote. 

The reveal, which Timberlake said he wanted to share "to shed some light on what I've been up against behind the scenes," comes after the singer has been criticized online for lackluster performances throughout the tour. Clips posted to social media show him taking long breaks from singing, for example, relying on the audience to keep the lyrics going. 

Timberlake said he was reluctant to talk about his diagnosis but said he was trying to be "more transparent about my struggles so that they aren't misinterpreted."

This isn't the first celebrity to share they've had Lyme disease recently. In 2023, supermodel Bella Hadid revealed she was recovering from a long battle with the disease, and Justin Bieber shared that he was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2020.