Public scrutiny is a symptom of fame, something many celebrities deal with on a constant basis. People idolise stars to the point that they forget they are not superhumans. Nothing can be a more humbling reminder that they are like the rest of us than learning about their health issues.
Although it can be a trying situation, the following stars not only dealt with health issues in limelight, but with grace and bravery. And what’s most important is that they used the public platform to share the struggles of the issues they faced.
Deepika Padukone
As a society, the word “rehab” or “psychiatrists” are still taboo in India. When Deepika Padukone spoke about her very real struggles with depression, it made front page headlines - understandably so, given that our country is still fighting the stigma against mental health issues and addiction.
In an industry where actors stay tight-lipped about their relationships, to be vocal and open of a serious illness like depression, without any hidden agenda was heart-wrenching.
The World Health Organisation states that India is the most depressed country in the world, with reported a third of the population suffering from mental illness.
Amitabh Bachchan
In 2010, Amitabh Bachchan created a stir in the media when he revealed he had liver cirrhosis. Culprit? Not the usual alcohol (Bachchan is a teetotaler) but hepatitis B, a chronic liver disease he has been suffering from for the last two decades. And on November 24th, he made the startling revelation that more than 75% of his liver has been destroyed by the disease.
India has over 40 million hepatitis B infected patients (second only to China) and constitutes about 15% of the entire pool of hepatitis B in the world. Bachchan’s message was loud and clear to all those who seek treatment abroad - India has one of the best medical facilities, at par with any Western country and with good lifestyle, one can survive on 12% of their liver as well.
Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen revealed his HIV status, the stigma, his struggle to stay positive on the Today show to host Matt Lauer.
Coming out of the HIV closet, the actor who is often in the headlines, might face multiple lawsuits, but the announcement has been the most mature and responsible thing he’s done in years.
He’s not alone – nearly 37 million people around the world and 2.1 million Indians are living with the virus, his public confession shows how far we’ve come in understanding and accepting HIV. The day of his revelation, social media exploded with most people commending him on coming forward with a disease which still carries a huge stigma.
Angelina Jolie
Two years after the preventive double mastectomy, the star went ahead and got her fallopian tubes tied and ovaries removed. Though personal, her decision to get the drastic surgeries is debatable but her courage to come out in the open is not.
Angelina Jolie carries a mutation in the BRCA1 gene which gives her an 87% higher risk of breast cancer and 50% higher chance of ovarian cancer.
Though a lot of breast cancer surgeons regard these measures as “medieval” and most cases of breast cancer are completely random, Jolie is adamant about the need for other women with BRCA mutations to at least know their options.
Not everyone with a BRCA mutation gets a cancer but Jolie’s bold move ensured awareness and media headlines for months.
Selena Gomez
In 2013, when Selena Gomez took a break from her acting and singing career, cancelling tours to “spend some time on herself”, the tabloids went crazy speculating her drug addiction and rehab.
Now the 23-year-old brave star has opened up about her struggles and the real reason she went into rehab in January 2014.
Most people in India got familiar with lupus after it was reported that Sunanda Pushkar, the late wife of Shashi Tharoor, was suffering from this incurable auto-immune disorder.
Gomez’s admission raised the profile of this life-threatening disease, very few know about and ignited the conversation about what it is really like to be seriously ill without looking it.
Related Read: What Makes Lupus So Maddeningly Difficult
Bottomline: It is amazing to see people who are not ashamed of their pasts, but proud to be moving forward and helping others in their struggle.
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