10 Celebrities Living with Epilepsy and Strives for Better Days
Living with epilepsy is not easy, not just for ordinary people but also for celebrities. Many of them had to live with epilepsy for years. Nevertheless, they must continue doing their activities at risk of recurring seizures. Who are they? These are ten celebrities living with epilepsy.
Top 10 Tv Personalities & Celebrities Living With Epilepsy
How many celebrities have epilepsy? All there is to know is there are many. Some of them have the disease in their childhood, and some others in the later phase of their lives. Here are ten celebrities and TV personalities who suffered from epilepsy.
1. Neil Young
Being one of the most influential singers, Neil Young does not have it easy. He is an icon of the folk genre and country and rock. His name is globally famous after his song “Heart of Gold,” and he’s still active in his 70s.
In 1966, Young moved to Los Angeles, and shortly after, doctors diagnosed him with epilepsy. Along with the poor attempt to control the situation, Young occasionally has seizures backstage or in the parking lot. Sometimes, he also occasionally ran away amidst performance because of the disease.
2. Rick Harrison
The first time Rick Harrison had a seizure episode was 8. After that, the American businessman and TV personality spent time in bed. During his recovery time, he spent much time resting and reading. His love of books has stayed until now.
Harrison became a TV personality after Gold & Coin Pawn Shop, a shop he and his father built, got recognition through the reality show Pawn Stars. To help people with epileptic struggle, he is now active in Epilepsy Foundation as a spokesman.
3. Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John was born in 1947. However, he started rising to prominence and marking his existence in 1970, after his self-titled album blew up internationally. After that, John keeps building his reputation and is now one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
Just because he is famous does not mean he did not struggle. When he was younger, he started to use drugs and cocaine. The addiction went so bad that he started having epileptic seizures, even turning blue because of the lack of oxygen. It took him 16 years to come back to sobriety.
4. Richard Burton
Richard Burton is a Welsh-born actor. He is said to be one of the highest-paid figures of his generation. The Hamlet star died in 1984 due to brain hemorrhage and several liver and lung problems.
Throughout Burton’s life, he had several occasions of seizures. He never admits to having epilepsy nor getting himself to doctors. He ended up taking self-medication and drinking alcohol to ease the symptom.
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5. Prince
Prince was an iconic singer and songwriter living in America. He plays multiple instrumentals and has excellent singing skills. He instantly becomes a favorite in America’s music industry along with his striking characteristic. People labeled him as one of the greatest singers of his generation.
Despite his popularity, few people knew he had epilepsy as a child. Then, finally, the truth came out in an interview around 2009, more than 30 years in his career. In the interview, he said he occasionally had seizures up until 7.
6. Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne is a prominent rapper, and he was born with talent. Although living in poverty, he recognized his rapping skill early in childhood. In fact, by the age of 11, he had already made a performance recording with his fellow rapper, B.G.
In an interview in 2018, Wayne admits that he has had epilepsy seizures since he was a kid. Because of the lack of knowledge, Wayne did not get proper treatment until adulthood. Some people witnessed him having an episode, though Wayne himself did not realize it as he blacked out.
7. Martin Kemp
Martin John Kemp is one of the famous actors with epilepsy. He is a 1972-born actor, film director, and musician in London. He is widely known as the bassist of Spandau Ballet, a new wave band famous in the 80s.
In 1995, Kemp underwent surgery due to tumors growing in his brain. Fortunately, the surgery went well. However, Kemps has to live with epilepsy as its aftermath. In an interview, he states that epilepsy can be suppressed and has been on medication for over a decade.
8. Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle faints a lot as a child. The singer is often said to have “fainting spells” and is mocked by her peers due to the disease. Although she is now making her way to prominence, she had quite a struggle in her childhood.
After striving childhood, she later decided to get her neurological condition re-checked. Then she discovered that she has Asperger Syndrome, which can trigger epilepsy. She is now on regular medication and is sharing her stories with the public to shine more light on the issue.
9. Cameron Boyce
The case of Cameron Boyce can be a constant reminder of how deadly epilepsy can be. He is one of the celebrities who died from seizures back in 2019. He began his career as a figure in Panic! At The Disco music video, then continued to star in major films such as Spider-Man and Descendant.
Boyce was only 20 when he died because of SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy). More unfortunate, he was diagnosed with epilepsy only three years prior. According to his family, he only had five seizures throughout the time, and they usually happened in his sleep.
10. Melanie Griffith
Upon reading this article, you might notice how almost all of the list is filled with men. Indeed, men have a higher chance of epilepsy compared to women. However, though rare, there are also female celebrities with epilepsy, and Melanie Griffith is one of them.
In an interview, Melanie admits that she has struggled with epilepsy for 20 years. However, she never knew what it was until she thoroughly checked around 2011. She acknowledged that the seizure usually comes when she is under a lot of stress.
The knowledge of epilepsy should spread widely to educate people about the disease. Through these celebrities living with epilepsy, people have someone to take lessons from and be more aware of the condition.
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About Author
Winda
Winda joined Kakkean as a writer in June 2022. She covers celebrity news and entertainment. Winda started her journalism back in senior high school when she joined the school's journalism competition. After graduating from senior high school, she took journalism study at Universitas Multimedia Nusantara and started to work in PonTV.
