More and more celebrities are sharing their medical diagnoses with the world, hoping to shine light on healthcare workers and the real pains so many people go through for a simple confirmation of their symptoms. Recently, American model Lori Harvey went public with her years-long battle with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The 28-year-old recalled on the SheMD podcast with Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney that her symptoms were dismissed for years before she got her diagnosis. “It’s almost like you’re getting gaslit, you know? You start questioning yourself,” Lori explained.
Finally, Lori was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS, and shared that the diagnosis “changed” her life. Dr. Aliabadi shared her frustration that so many women’s symptoms are dismissed and how important it is to have celebrity patients share their stories to raise awareness.
HELLO! spoke with Jessica Horwitz, the Chief Clinical Officer at Tia, a provider of whole-person women’s healthcare, about the rampant chronic disease. “Endometriosis is a complex inflammatory condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) grows in other parts of the body, such as the pelvis, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or even around organs like the bladder or bowel,” Jessica explained.
Since so many women, including Lori for many years, go undiagnosed, the total numbers of women with endometriosis “are likely lower than true incidence.” Jessica told HELLO! that “in the U.S., anywhere from about 5-11% of women ages 15-49 may have [the condition].” Further, she explained: “Among women who are infertile, up to 50% have been found to have endometriosis.”
Lori isn’t the only celebrity to go public about her diagnosis. Here are six other celebrities who have endometriosis.
© Getty ImagesChrissy Teigen
The 39-year-old mom-of-four underwent surgery for endometriosis in 2021. Chrissy shared the news to Instagram, saying: “Usually I’m really good after [surgery]. This one’s a toughie. My whole belly got numbed. It’s gonna be numb for like, a couple days. Couple of the next days, hopefully they’ll stay that way.”
Chrissy and her husband John Legend, 46, experienced a tragic pregnancy loss in 2020 when their son Jack was stillborn at 20 weeks. Studies have found that endometriosis is associated with an increased risk of stillbirth.
While Chrissy underwent surgery for endometriosis, Jessica Horwitz told HELLO!: “Right now, most treatments for endometriosis are about managing symptoms, such as hormonal therapies or even surgery, but they don’t always get at the root of the condition.” She continued: “That means many women spend years cycling through different options and still living with pain, fatigue, or fertility struggles.”
© Penske Media via Getty ImagesJulianne Hough
The Dancing with the Stars host told PEOPLE that she first experienced endometriosis symptoms at age 15. “I thought that this was just the kind of pain you have when you’re on your period,” Julianne explained. “For years, I was just thinking that was normal and never really talked about it.
In 2008, she was rushed to the hospital from the DWTS set, where she was diagnosed with endometriosis and “needed to get surgery that week.” Years later, Julianne implores women to speak openly and honestly about their symptoms. “I don’t care about being private about this anymore because I really want the women that are going through debilitating pain to benefit from my story.”
© Mike Marsland/WireImageLena Dunham
The Too Much and Girls writer and actress has been open about her endometriosis diagnosis for many years. While she experienced unusual pain around her periods as a teenager, Lena didn’t get a diagnosis until she was 25. “If my pain had no tangible source, that just meant my mind was more powerful than I was and it didn’t want me to be happy, ever,” she said in 2015.
In March 2018, Lena revealed in an essay for Vogue that she had her uterus removed in a total hysterectomy. “I may have felt choiceless before, but I know I have choices now,” she wrote. “Soon I’ll start exploring whether my ovaries, which remain someplace inside me in that vast cavern of organs and scar tissue, have eggs. Adoption is a thrilling truth I’ll pursue with all my might.”
© Instagram/@oliviaculpoOlivia Culpo
The former Miss Universe shared with her 5.5 million Instagram followers in 2020 that she has endometriosis. Olivia wrote: “I’ve never publicly said this before but I have endometriosis. Aka the most excruciatingly painful cramps/periods. Anyone else reading this have Endo? No fun.”
The now mother to Colette Annalise advocated for women to pay attention to their periods and to speak with their doctors if they are painful. Olivia continued: “Painful periods are not normal. You just want to make sure that everything is ok if you did want to get pregnant. You just never know. You don’t want to wait too late, so I want everyone to take that seriously.”
© Getty ImagesPadma Lakshmi
Like many other women, the former Top Chef host went undiagnosed for years. Padma revealed in her memoir, Love, Loss and What We Ate, that the chronic pain from her endometriosis impacted her relationship with her ex-husband Salman Rushdie. She remembered being in too much pain to leave her bed or have sex, leading to their divorce.
“Endometriosis was definitely a major reason that my marriage failed and I don’t think either of us understood it at the time,” Padma explained to PEOPLE. “I think that’s also because I hid it to a certain degree, not intentionally but you know, it’s weird to talk about your period all the time. It’s like the least sexy thing in the world to do.”
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