Cold sores may not be as dangerous as other STDs, but they can be quite embarrassing. And that’s because hiding the tiny blisters on your lips or face is impossible. Sure, you can wear the facial masks that became popular during the Covid-19 period, but you will have to remove it at some point.
Cold sores may be embarrassing and uncomfortable, but did you know that it affects over two-thirds of the world’s population? This includes several celebrities who have owned them with pride. Some of these celebrities have even raised awareness and helped make this condition socially acceptable.
They have uploaded various photos of themselves with blisters on their lips and faces on social media. Luckily, most of these posts have received positive responses, with their fans appreciating their honesty and openness.
So if you have cold sores then you shouldn’t be ashamed as the following black celebrities have dealt with this condition at some point in their lives.
1. Rihanna
Back in 2008 when Rihanna was dating Chris Brown, she was seen with tiny blisters on her lips. Some tabloids claim that Chris attacked her in his car the night before the 2009 Grammys after she gave him cold sores. Some tabloids even claimed that she got the STD from Jay-Z.
Starkeema Greenidge also claims that she got cold sores after sampling a lipstick she had been given by Rihanna’s sponsors. She sued the superstar for an unspecified amount for emotional distress and mental anguish.
2. Janet Jackson
Back in the late 1990s, Janet suffered from this virus secretly and was seen with blisters on her lips. To hide the condition, she used her chef’s name to get medication, which was illegal. And after her chef, Macchi Ricardo, found out he printed the prescription at the local pharmacy, and sued her in 1999. Unfortunately, the judge dismissed the case against Rene Elizondo and Janet Jackson in 2000.
3. Chris Brown
During the lawsuit of Rihanna against him, Chris Brown said that the Barbadian singer infected him with cold sores. Brown said that he woke up with blisters on his private parts and when urinating it popped which was quite scary. The singer has been spotted with some cold sores on his lips which disappear after a few weeks.
4. Michael Jackson
After Michael’s death, a lady known as Shelly Smith sued his estate demanding $10 million. She claimed that the superstar infected her with herpes over 4 decades ago and ruined her life. During the trial, Shelly said that she started sleeping with Michael in 1979 and after a few weeks, she got blisters on her lips, face and legs. She said that he was his only sexual partner and believes that he is the one who infected her.
5. Michael Vick
A 26 years old lady, known as Sonya Elliott, claims that the Falcon quarterback knowingly gave her cold sores in the early 2000s. Elliott sued Vick on March 14, 2003 seeking damages for the infection and the quarterback’s negligence. Sonya sued after Vick refused to help get treatment after she started suffering. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2006.
6. Usher
Another singer who has had to deal with lawsuits from women claiming that he infected them with herpes is Usher. He has been sued by various women and even settled the first case in 2012 for an undisclosed amount. Usher has had to pay millions of dollars in settlements against a number of women.
7. Mariah Carey
According to BecomeGorgeous.com, Carey is part of a popular herpes tree. The singer dated Jeter for a few months and is believed to have contracted this condition from him. Unfortunately, she has never talked about the condition.
8. Derek Jeter
Jeter has been accused of infecting several women with cold sores over the years including some top names like Jessica Alba and Mariah Carey. Alba got infected by Jeter in 2004 and used her assistant to get a prescription for the condition. Jeter has also dated and infected Vanessa Minnillo and Scarlett Johansson.
9. 50 Cents
Back in 2018, Shaniqua Tompkins accused Curtis Jackson of having herpes. But the rapper dismissed her ex claiming that she was bitter after her $50 million lawsuit was dismissed. The two share a son and no other woman has publicly claimed that the rapper infected them with the virus to date.
10. R Kelly
During the case against R Kelly, his physician testified that he has been infecting women with herpes since 2007. At the time, the singer was facing a federal child pornography case which he lost and was jailed for 20 years.
11. NBA Youngboy
In his song “Can’t Be Saved” NBA Youngboy claimed that he has herpes, which his fans thought were just lyrics. They were confused since the rapper didn’t confirm or deny the rumor, but his ex-girlfriend, Jania, confirmed that he does have cold sores. Jania also confirmed that she also has herpes and was surprised with Youngboy’s confession.
12. Dennis Rodman
Rodman has been dealing with scandals for decades with the most popular ones being herpes infections. The NBA star was even sued for infecting ladies with the condition. Some of the ladies who accused him of infecting them with herpes include Lisa Beth Judd who he had an on-and-off affair between 1991 and 1993.
Also check: 11 Supermodels Who Have Had Their Runs with Cold Sores
Knowingly transmitting an STD is illegal and this includes cold sores, which some of the above celebrities have found out the hard way. Celebrities like Usher have had to deal with herpes-related lawsuits for over a decade. On the other hand, some celebrities have owned up and shared photos of themselves with these blisters is commendable. Instead of hiding the cold sores using makeup, they have opted to raise awareness of cold sores and show us that we’re not alone in the fight against the cold sore stigma. Let their courage remind us that we are all capable of overcoming obstacles and achieving greatness, one day at a time. Let’s support and uplift each other as we navigate life’s ups and downs, knowing that we are never alone in our struggles.
