Hollywood's IRL Superhero Squad

They fight back! These A-listers have battled — and kicked the asses of — a range of medical conditions

- Frances Dodds

Selena Gomez knows when to take a break from the spotlight, especially when her health depends on it. The singer, 27, suffers from lupus, a disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s healthy tissue. In 2017, she had a kidney transplant, and she continues to be open about ongoing health complications. “I’ve discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of lupus and can present their own challenges,” she’s said. To improve her overall well-being, she’s focused on her “diet, routine and medication.”

For a world-class athlete, there’s nothing worse than losing a match with your own body. That was the case for Venus Williams for seven years, until she found out she has an autoimmune disease called Sjögren’s syndrome in 2011. “No matter how hard I worked, I never felt in shape,” the tennis star, 39, has said. She also suffered from extreme fatigue, swollen joints and muscle aches — all common symptoms of the disease. Before she started medication, “just being alive was very uncomfortable.”