Justin Timberlake told fans he’s been struggling with an “unrelentingly debilitating” case of Lyme disease while on tour.
The 44-year-old singer’s admission follows heavy criticism from concertgoers over allegedly lackluster performances on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which concluded Wednesday in Turkey. Fan singalongs posted online show Timberlake letting his audiences handle vocal responsibilities while he seemingly rests during shows.
Timberlake called his recent tour “the most fun, emotional, gratifying, physically demanding, and, at times, grueling experience” he’s had in more than 30 years in showbusiness, which includes a 7-year stint with the hugely popular boy band N’Sync.
The “SexyBack” singer said he’s usually a private person, but looking back at the whirlwind string of performances he just completed, a little context is in order.
“I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme Disease — which I don’t say so you feel bad for me — but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes,” Timberlake posted.
He didn’t share details on how or when he was infected with the sickness. The Centers for Disease Control describe Lyme Disease as “a bacterial infection spread to people through the bite of blacklegged ticks.”
Symptoms can include headache and fatigue. If untreated, the infection can attack joints, the heart and the nervous system.
“Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically,” Timberlake explained.
The Tennessee native said he was shocked when he learned of the infection, but the diagnosis helped him understand why he was experiencing fatigue and nerve pain on stage. Timberlake said he had to decide whether to continue performing or cut his tour short. He chose the former and said he’s glad that he did.
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