Justin Timberlake celebrated the end of his latest tour by revealing he has been living with Lyme disease.
The pop star revealed his diagnosis in an Instagram post shared early Thursday. In a caption accompanying behind-the-scenes photos from his recent live performances, Timberlake remarked that he has started to look “forward to the future” and felt compelled to “write something from the heart.”
“I want to tell you a little bit about what’s going on with me,” Timberlake wrote. “Among other things, 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. If you’ve experienced this disease or know someone who has — then you’re aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.”
While Timberlake did not disclose when he received the diagnosis, he said that it forced him to make an important decision about how he wanted to live his life. “When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure,” he admitted. “But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness. I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out.
“I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going,” he continued. “Not only did I prove my mental tenacity to myself but, I now have so many special moments with all of you that I will never forget. I was reluctant to talk about this because I was always raised to keep something like this to yourself. But I am trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted.”
Timberlake added that he wanted to share his diagnosis in “the hope that we can all find a way to be more connected” and noted, “I’d like to do my part to help others experiencing this disease too.”
Timberlake’s admission came at the end of a musical journey that started over a year ago. The performer launched the Forget Tomorrow World Tour, his first tour in five years, in Vancouver on April 29, 2024. That tour concluded on Feb. 24, 2025, but Timberlake followed it up with another run of festival performances and one-night concerts starting on March 21. The last of these performances took place Wednesday night in Istanbul.
In addition to opening up about his recent health struggles, Timberlake expressed gratitude for his fans and the experiences he has shared with them over the past 15 months.
“This has been the most fun, emotional, gratifying, physically demanding, and, at times, grueling experience,” Timberlake told his Instagram followers. “I have been doing this for 30+ years (which feels crazy to say) — and have given all that I have to this. I could not have done it without my family, friends, The TN Kids, and all of YOUR support.”
