The subject of Lyme disease is littered with misinformation. Celebrities are part of the problem, experts say
American model Bella Hadid has spoken publicly about her struggles living with chronic illness and her ongoing treatments. Photo by Yolanda Hadid/Instagram, Bella Hadid/Instagram
CBC News
American supermodel Bella Hadid takes to Instagram every few years to share a behind-the-scenes look at living with chronic illness.
In one slideshow from September 2025, she’s seen getting a variety of treatments at a boutique medical facility. In another from August 2023, Hadid shows herself with an intravenous catheter connected to her arm.
In that post’s caption, she claims to have suffered from Lyme disease for more than 100 days — as well as “almost 15 years of invisible suffering.”
That post has garnered about three million likes and 19,000 comments. Many users expressed support. One commented, “Who of you also suffers from chronic Lyme? What treatments do you do?”
Lyme disease is a medically recognized infection that can cause pain, fatigue and muscle aches. But many celebrities — including Hadid, American singer Justin Timberlake and Canadian singer Justin Bieber — who claim they have Lyme appear, on a closer look, to be describing chronic Lyme disease, a condition that isn’t recognized by conventional medicine.
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