Celebs Living With Diabetes
How the stars live and manage their diabetes.
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No One Is Exempt From Diabetes - It’s no secret that diabetes disproportionately affects the Black community. A whopping 4.8 million of us have been diagnosed with this disease that affects our blood sugar. No one is exempt from diabetes, not even celebs. Read more about how some of our most loved stars live and manage their diabetes. —Kellee Terrell (Photos from left: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Mark Davis/Getty Images, Shahar Azran/WireImage)
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Anthony Anderson - Actor Anthony Anderson manages his own disease by thinking ahead. “I could either die from this disease, or live with it as best as I can. I choose to live with it.... It's all about planning.” In 2011, actor he joined up with Fearless African-Americans Connected and Empowered (F.A.C.E.) diabetes initiative, an awareness program about Type II diabetes. (Photo: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)
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Halle Berry - Oscar winner Halle Berry said she was diagnosed with Type-I diabetes (juvenile diabetes) at 22 after falling into a week-long coma. In 2007, she claimed that she was no longer taking insulin and that she was “cured.” However, health experts believe that she was misdiagnosed and probably had Type-II, given that it’s not possible to stop taking insulin if you have Type-I. (Photo: Juan Sharma/Bruja, PacificCoastNews.com)
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Randy Jackson - American Idol judge Randy Jackson revealed he had diabetes in 2010. "Diabetes snuck up on me. I didn't know I had it, and it was a huge wake-up call to get my health together," said Jackson, who has since lost 110 pounds thanks to weight loss surgery and improved his diet to better manage the disease. Jackson says that he has the disease under control and feels great. (Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images)
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Sherri Shepherd - The View co-host Sherri Shepherd has been a vocal champion for diabetes awareness since her own Type-II diagnosis. She even believes that her diagnosis “saved her life” because it made her change her unhealthy lifestyle. Shepherd admitted that she was once taking three medications for her diabetes, but now because she shed over 40 pounds, she doesn’t have to take meds anymore. (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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Damon Dash - Damon Dash, former CEO and co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, kept his Type-I diabetes a secret from people for years. He told CNN.com, "I don't know if anyone knows I am diabetic — I think it's important to let people know that it's OK to be diabetic and to know how to take care of it.” Since coming out, he has been a vocal advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.(Photo: Asadorian-Mejia / Splash News)
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Dorian Gregory - Actor and Soul Train host Dorian Gregory was diagnosed with Type-I diabetes when he was 9, with a deep family history of the disease. His advice: Know that life is our medicine, not just the shots or pills we take. Exercise, food, sleep, and management of stress are also our medicine. Take all your medicine, and you will be well.”(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Angie Stone - Neo-soul singer Angie Stone knew something was wrong when her leg cramped and she couldn’t walk for a few days. Yet, she didn’t think it could have been diabetes, despite being overweight and having a family history of the disease. Stone, who has been living with diabetes for over a decade, has her disease in check and raises diabetes awareness in the Black community. (Photo: Mike Windle/Getty Images for BET)