Celebrities live lives with which most people are unfamiliar. Even their deepest, darkest, most personal secrets sometimes make their way into newspapers, online, or into the tabloids. On one hand the celebrity lifestyle is wonderful, but on the other side it can be highly invasive and upsetting for the celebrity in question. Which is why it shouldn't be surprising that there are many celebrities who kept diseases secret.
Once they're diagnosed with sometimes fatal diseases, the outpouring of false sentiment can be enough to turn even the most upbeat person cynical. There have been a great number of famous people with secret illnesses who only spoke about their disease once they were free and clear. Other celebrities who were secretly sick never spoke about their issues. Only after their passing do their friends and family tell the public about their affliction.
Which celebrities kept their diagnoses secret? Famous people including David Bowie, Cobie Smulders, and Freddie Mercury are below.
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Charlie Sheen
In November 2015, Charlie Sheen told the Today show that he was HIV positive, and had been for four years. Once rumors began spreading, the actor could no longer hide his diagnosis.
Cobie Smulders
While the actress is free and clear now, she privately battled ovarian cancer for a couple of years. The cancer required multiple surgeries, and only five years after being cancer free, Smulders spoke on the disease.
David Bowie
David Bowie's death sent shockwaves across music and film communities worldwide. Hardly anyone realized the singer and actor had been suffering from liver cancer for the 18 months before he died. According to reports, the performer wanted to go "without any fuss."
Freddie Mercury
The Queen lead singer was diagnosed with AIDS very early on in the epidemic's initial outbreak. He made his final public appearance almost 26 years ago, and while members of the band new he was battling the disease, Mercury kept it a secret from fans and the public, denying all reports.
Jennifer Saunders
Saunders, a British comedian and actress, battled breast cancer in secret when she was diagnosed in 2009. She even hid her hair loss, due to chemo treatments, with a wig. Only when she was clear of the disease did she tell her story.
Kathy Bates
The Oscar winner battled cancer not once, but twice. Several years ago, she overcame ovarian cancer and has also undergone a double mastectomy to rid herself of breast cancer. Only years later did Bates open up about the battles.
Michael Douglas
While Douglas did reveal he was undergoing surgery to remove cancerous tumors, the actor kept the severity of his disease somewhat secret. He was at risk of losing his tongue and jaw, and only after he was clear of that did he real how serious the cancer had been.
Nora Ephron
The famed screenwriter and filmmaker, who passed away in 2012, had been battling cancer for years. News of the disease and her passing surprised even some of her closest friends.
Robin Williams
Williams's suicide was seemingly brought on by depression, which the actor had been battling for years. However, in the days following his death, his wife claimed the onset of Parkinson's, which had begun a few years prior, was what pushed him to take his own life.
Steve Jobs
The Apple CEO died suddenly in 2011 after a secret battle with cancer. The innovator had staved off pancreatic cancer for nearly two decades but let very few people (Disney CEO Bob Iger was one) knew of his diagnosis.