Celebrities are known for their glamorous lifestyles, but they are not immune to health problems.
Some well-known celebrities have been open about their struggles with health conditions such as diverticulitis.
Here, we will look at celebrities who have been diagnosed with this condition. But first, what is diverticulitis?
Diverticulitis is a medical condition in which small pouches develop in the lining of the intestine and become inflamed or infected.
This condition is commonly observed in adults above the age of 40 but can occur in any age group.
Various factors can contribute to its development such as age, diet, obesity, and lifestyle choices.
Here are 10 celebrities who have been diagnosed with diverticulitis:
1. Michael Galeota
Galeota was an American actor, best known for starring in the Disney Channel series The Jersey as Nick Lighter.
Galeota suffered from diverticulitis among other health issues. In January 2016, he went to the hospital after he experienced severe abdominal pain.
Upon arrival, Galeota was admitted but left a few days later against his doctor’s advice.
He was found dead on January 10, 2016. It was determined that his other health issues were the cause of his death.
2. Gerard Butler
Butler is a Scottish actor and film producer known for his roles in films such as Angel Has Fallen, Olympus Has Fallen, and London Has Fallen.
In November 2018, Butler was hospitalized while in the Dominican Republic after experiencing abdominal pains for more than three days.
After an MRI, he was diagnosed with uncomplicated diverticulitis. Butler made a full recovery and was discharged.
3. Brock Lesnar
Lesnar is a 46-year-old American professional wrestler. He was first diagnosed with severe diverticulitis in November 2009 and underwent surgery on November 16, 2009.
Later, his doctors realized that his condition had gone undetected for over a year.
Later, in May 2011, Lesnar underwent another surgery after diverticulitis struck again.
This time, he lost a foot of his colon. At the time, Lesnar was a mixed martial artist, which put his body under stress.
Being his weak point, his opponents targeted his abdomen, which could have proved to be fatal in time.
He later resigned from martial arts in December 2011 to prioritize his health.
4. John McCain
McCain was a US politician who served as The Senator of Arizona from 1987 til his death.
He was admitted to Mayo Clinic Hospital in April 2018 to undergo surgery for diverticulitis.
McCain suffered from diverticulitis while undergoing a rare form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma, or GBM.
Despite making a full recovery from diverticulitis, the 81-year-old died later that year in August from glioblastoma.
5. Pope Francis
Francis is the head of the Catholic Church. He was admitted in hospital in 2021 and underwent surgery for symptomatic stenotic diverticulitis.
Due to his advanced age, many were afraid that he would not recover in time.
However, the colon surgery was a success and after a couple of weeks, he made a full recovery from diverticulitis.
However, in June 2023, he suffered from a hernia that formed over his colon surgery scar, and had to undergo another abdominal surgery.
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6. Matt Sauri
Sauri is a business leader, entrepreneur, philanthropist, athlete, and the founder and CEO of Wimmer Solutions.
On July 12 2021 while in Dallas, Sauri experienced severe pain in his abdomen and was rushed to hospital.
Upon admission, the doctors gave him a 10% survival chance.
Sauri, being a sports enthusiast, had a tendency of taking ibuprofen for injuries he incurred.
That, coupled with his low fiber diet, could have been contributing factors in his condition. Sauri spent two months in hospital before he could make a full recovery.
7. Eddie Van Halen
Halen was an American guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen who died in October 2020.
He was diagnosed with diverticulitis in 2012 and underwent surgery to treat the condition. He made a full recovery after the procedure.
8. Gregg Wallace
Wallace is an English entrepreneur and media personality. He is known for co-presenting the MasterChef reality TV shows on BBC One and BBC Two.
Wallace was diagnosed with diverticulitis in 2018. The diagnosis compelled him to change his diet; a challenging thing for him to do since he was a lover of curries and spicy food.
9. Tanuja, Kajol’s mother
Tanuja is an Indian actress and the mother of Kajol.
She was diagnosed with diverticulitis in May 2019 after experiencing pain in her abdomen.
After undergoing surgery to treat the condition, the 80-year-old made a full recovery.
10. Kevin Roy
Roy is a 55-year-old locomotive electrician from Claremont who gained popularity after sharing his experience with diverticulitis.
Roy endured severe stomach pains for years before his diagnosis in 2014.
Attempts to use antibiotic therapy to treat the condition were in vain, and Roy picked up other symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and fever a few months after taking antibiotics.
Eventually, his abdomen swelled up and he had to be rushed to the emergency room.
After a 5-day stay at the hospital, Roy made a full recovery.
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