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Thyroid disorders can affect anyone, including celebrities who are in the spotlight. Some very well-known figures have been open about their struggles with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, shedding light on these conditions and raising awareness. From actors to singers to politicians, these celebrities can inspire others facing similar challenges. Let’s take a closer look at some of the famous individuals who have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease and/or hypothyroidism.
Your Guide To The Genetics Of Thyroid Function
Knowing your risk for thyroid disease can help you stay in front of complications. Learn in this guide how genes impact your risk for hypothyroidism.
Oprah Winfrey
Perhaps the most famous person with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism is talk-show host, magazine publisher, and actress Oprah Winfrey. In 2007, Winfrey disclosed her diagnosis on her show and in “O” magazine.
In her article “Giving Myself a Month Off,” described her battle with Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism.
“My body was turning on me. First hyperthyroidism, which sped up my metabolism and left me unable to sleep for days. (Most people lose weight. I didn’t.) Then hypothyroidism, which slowed down my metabolism and made me want to sleep all the time. (Most people gain weight. I did! Twenty pounds!)
The thyroid...influences everything from digestion to metabolism to reproduction. When the thyroid is out of balance, so are you.
I craved balance. I was desperate to be somewhere in the middle of hyper and hypo—where, obviously, I’d been my whole life, taking it for granted because I didn’t know any better. We often need a malfunction to appreciate all the things that function.”
Hillary Clinton
She’s a former first lady, secretary of state, and Presidential candidate, but did you know that Hillary Clinton is also a hypothyroidism patient? While running for the nomination in the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries, Clinton’s hypothyroidism diagnosis was revealed in a public letter from her doctor.
Her doctor wrote:
“Mrs. Clinton’s current medications include Armor (sic) Thyroid…Her thyroid blood tests are within normal limits. Of note, she has remained stable for many years on Armor (sic) thyroid to treat her hypothyroidism (a low T3 level). “
Kelly Clarkson
Before she launched her popular talk show and became a judge on The Voice, American Idol winner and singer/songwriter Kelly Clarkson shared her Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism diagnosis in 2018.
In a 2021 YouTube interview with actress and Jeopardy host Mayim Bialik, Clarkson told Bialik:
“Any needle that goes in my body is either taking blood to check my thyroid, cause it’s off...my thyroid is crap... I’m working on it!”
Interestingly, Bialik immediately chimed in at Clarkson’s mention of her thyroid: “Oh, you have a thyroid condition too; we’re twinsies!”
Later in the interview, Clarkson talked about her diagnosis.
“I was with a trainer, and they said, ‘Why can you not lose weight? You work out all the time.” I was like, ‘I don’t know. I’m not sneaking food.’ We found out that it was very underactive. I’d never heard much about it. I was like 25, and I made a joke, ‘This is just that fat people thing....people get fat and say, oh, it must be my thyroid.’ I thought it was just people BSing. And then I found out it’s real. That’s karma. That’s ironic.”
[Bialik also briefly explained her condition in the interview. ” I have an overactive thyroid. I was diagnosed with my thyroid condition in college...A thyroid problem is like ‘here’s your wakeup call from the universe that your body is mad.’”]
It’s a fun interview and worth watching!
Gigi Hadid
Supermodel Gigi Hadid has been outspoken about her diagnosis of Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism and her efforts to advocate for autoimmune thyroid patients. Diagnosed in 2014, Hadid took to social media to make the announcement and call out those who were body-shaming her.
Said Hadid:
“For those of you so determined to come up [with] why my body has changed over the years, you may not know that when I started [at] 17, I was not yet diagnosed [with] Hashimoto’s disease,” she wrote. “Those of [you] who called me ‘too big for the industry’ were seeing inflammation [and] water retention due to that.”
Hadid seems to have come to terms with her thyroid condition, recently saying, “I feel healthier internally, and I am learning and growing with my body every day, as everyone is.”
Jillian Michaels
Most people know Jillian Michaels as the rough and tough trainer from “The Biggest Loser,” as well as her fitness empire and product endorsements. Michaels was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and hypothyroidism after noticing weight gain and discussed her thyroid condition in a 2012 post on her blog.
More recently, Michaels has taken to social media to help women learn more about the symptoms of Hashimoto’s and an underactive thyroid and tips on treatment and weight loss, as seen in this June 2023 Instagram post.
Linda Ronstadt
In 1997, award-winning singer Linda Ronstadt was diagnosed with autoimmune Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. For 12 years after her diagnosis, Ronstadt continued her music career until she announced in 2009 that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Ronstadt has recounted her story in her memoir, “Simple Dreams.”
Other celebrities
Other celebrities with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism include actresses Gina Rodriguez, Kim Cattrall, Gena Lee Nolin, and Victoria Justice, and model Kim Alexis.
To be honest, few celebrity men have publicly announced a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism. One notable exception is Senator (and former presidential candidate) Bernie Sanders. His hypothyroidism was disclosed in the 2016 release of a letter from his doctor during the presidential primaries.
Your Guide To Thyroid Medication
Optimizing your thyroid levels with thyroid hormone replacement medication is usually the first step in minimizing symptoms.
A number of celebrities are hypothyroid after a diagnosis of thyroid surgery and removal of the thyroid gland. They include:
- Sofia Vergara - Actress
- Rod Stewart - Singer
- Deborah Norville – TV host
- Tarek El Moussa – HGTV host
- Brooke Burke – TV host
- Joe Piscopo - Comedian
- Jared Kushner – Husband of Ivanka Trump
- Angie Everhart – Actress and model
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders – Politician
- Katee Sackhoff - Actress
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