13 Famous People Who Suffered From Major Illnesses

Throughout history, there have been many tragic stories of celebrities who have suffered from a variety of illnesses, from physical to mental, and even life-threatening conditions. It is a sad reminder of how fragile life can be, and how no one is immune to the ravages of disease.

In this list, we will explore some of the most famous cases of celebrities who have been afflicted with various illnesses, from Anthony Perkins’ battle with AIDS to John Lennon’s struggle with bulimia. We will also look at how these illnesses impacted their lives, from John F. Kennedy’s battle with Addison’s Disease to Woody Guthrie’s struggle with Huntington’s Disease. We will also examine how some of these illnesses, such as Michael Jackson’s use of propofol, led to their untimely deaths. Finally, we will also look at some of the celebrities who have had vocal injuries, such as Clark Gable, and how they have managed to overcome them. It is a sobering reminder of the fragility of life, and how even the most famous of celebrities can be taken away from us too soon.

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13 Live long, drink hard?

CRACKED Leonard Nimoy ALCOHOLISM Nimoy, most famous for playing Spock, had a long battle with alcoholism that lasted for decades before he passed away in 2015. — *Vicki L. Miller/Shutterstock*
**National Post**

12 Fearful Freddie?

CRACKED Freddie Mercury VOCAL NODULES Mercury was told he had vocal nodules in February 1975, but he was scared that surgery would mess up his singing voice, so he didn't get it. Sadly, his voice still got worse over time anyway. — *Carl Lender/Wiki Commons*
**People**

11 John Lennon: Bulimic, unhelped.

CRACKED John Lennon BULIMIA Lennon had bulimia, an eating disorder that usually affects women, and he never got help for it during his years in the spotlight. — *Joost Evers/Wiki Commons*
**The Telegraph**

10 Headaches and naps: Harriet’s life.

GRACKED Harriet Tubman NARCOLEPSY Tubman had a lifetime of really bad headaches and would suddenly fall asleep without warning due to narcolepsy. — *Horatio Seymour Squyer/Wiki Commons*
**National Women’s History Museum**

9 Tragically, Anthony Perkins succumbed to AIDS at 60.

CRACKED DE OFPA TESTED QUALITY Anthony Perkins AIDS - Perkins, who was famous for his roles in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and many other movies, had AIDS and sadly died in 1992 at 60. — *Wiki Commons*
**The New York Times**

8 Luther’s toilet thoughts.

CRACKED Martin Luther CHRONIC CONSTIPATION Luther often mentioned that he had a lot of trouble with his digestion and spent a lot of time in the bathroom thinking. People who study him have been sure for a long time that he wrote his famous theses while he was on the toilet. — *Lucas Cranach the Elder/Wiki Commons*
**The Sydney Morning Herald**

7 Depression?

CRACKED Abraham Lincoln DEPRESSION Throughout his life, Lincoln was known to struggle with depression. His friends and colleagues referred to it as melancholy. If he were alive today, doctors would diagnose him with recurrent major depression. — *Everett Collection/Shutterstock*
**The Atlantic**

6 Propofol-induced insomnia: fatal.

CRACKED Michael Jackson SLEEP DEPRIVATION Jackson was given propofol ILO infusions by his doctor, which caused him to suffer from extreme sleep deprivation and eventually led to his death in 2009. — *Vicki L. Miller/Shutterstock*
**CNN**

5 President with Crohn’s disease.

CRACKED Dwight Eisenhower CROHN'S DISEASE The 34th President of the United States had Crohn's disease, and had to have surgery in 1956 to fix a blockage in his small intestine. — *White House/Wiki Commons*
**The Bulletin**

4 Tragic end to a legendary life.

CRACKED Woody Guthrie HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE Guthrie's genetic disorder caused his brain cells to break down. This led to issues with his mood, balance, and movement, as well as psychotic episodes and dementia. — *Al Aumuller/Wiki Commons*
**PBS**

3 Gum-yuck Gable.

CRACKED Clark Gable GUM INFECTION In 1933, Gable had a gum infection so bad he had to get almost all of his teeth taken out and replaced with false ones. — *Wiki Commons*
**Mental Floss**

2 Unhealthy president, healthy win.

CRACKED Franklin D. Roosevelt HYPERTENSION FDR had really high blood pressure and a heart problem that was kept quiet during the 1944 election. — *Leon Perskie/Wiki Commons*
**Oxford Academic**

1 Sickly Kennedy still made President.

CRACKED John F. Kennedy EVERYTHING (sort of) JFK had a lot of health problems throughout his life, like back pain, Addison's disease, and stomach issues. Не had four surgeries, including one for his back in 1944 and another in 1954. — *Cecil Stoughton/Wiki Commons*
**Journal of Neurosurgery**

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