Millions of people worldwide have diabetes. Many celebrities are no exception. They use their public status and visibility to raise awareness about the disease and its effects.
Famous celebrities with diabetes live a very active lifestyle while managing successful careers. They become advocates for research and healthy living.
Most importantly, they prove that having diabetes is not the end of the world. Below are 30 famous celebrities who live with diabetes.
30. Vanessa Williams
Aside from being the first African-American to win Miss America, she was also known for her roles in Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. She is also a three-time Grammy Award nominee.
The actress, singer, beauty queen, and author is a Type 1 diabetic. She was diagnosed at a young age.
Vanessa Williams has remained active and is a role model for people with diabetes. She loves to dance and lives a healthy life.
She loves food but makes sure not to indulge. She devotes her time to various diabetes-related charities.
Her book, which is entitled, Healthy Child, is for children diagnosed with the disease.
29. Bret Michaels
The rock star is the lead singer of the rock band Poison. He also starred in VH1 hits like Life as I Know It.
In recent years, Bret Michaels has taken the stage to discuss his lifelong struggles with diabetes. He has also discussed his diabetes in interviews with numerous organizations.
He believes that diabetes has helped him survive in an industry where critics can be mean. If he can take 5 injections a day, then he can take anything, most especially the mean critics.
As a child, Bret Michaels was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Over the years, Michaels has raised millions of dollars for research, collaborating with the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation also known as JDRF.
28. James Earl Jones
Actor James Earl Jones has been living with diabetes since the 1990s. The actor didn’t know he had it until it was discovered by accident.
His doctor encouraged him to be tested for diabetes and he did, resulting in a positive test result.
When Jones was diagnosed, he was 85 years old, which made him an at-risk demographic.
The actor took personal responsibility for his condition. To this day, he lives a healthy lifestyle.
He is doing well despite his diabetes and is still active in the movies and on television.
He shares his story to raise awareness about this disease and to inspire others to get checked for diabetes.
