11 Celebrities Who Are Living With Migraine

Celebrities have access to the best medical care, not to mention self-care: regular massages, chefs and personal trainers, extended downtime in the best vacation destinations. Yet even they struggle when it comes to dealing with the chronic neurological condition known as migraine. The word makes most of us think of intense headaches, but migraine involves a whole range of other symptoms—many of which can be downright debilitating—including vision loss, nausea, and vomiting. There’s no cure for anyone living with the condition, which affects more than one billion people worldwide, and celebrities who are living with migraine don’t necessarily have a leg up. That’s because being in the spotlight involves its own set of migraine triggers beyond the actual spotlights shining directly in your eyes (#photosensitivity). Just a handful of reasons a celeb lifestyle could exacerbate migraine attacks: demanding filming and tour schedules, time-zone changes that disrupt sleep patterns, venues filled with high-decibel noise, and relentless scrutiny from the media, fans, and (of course) social-media haters. And while people with more-typical careers can usually find a way to hit pause and ride out crippling migraine symptoms in a quiet, dark place (difficult as that may be), professional actors, musicians, and athletes often put their careers on the line by canceling an appearance or skipping an audition. Here’s what 11 celebrities with migraine have shared about their symptoms and treatments—and how having the condition has affected their lives and careers.