American singer Justin Timberlake says he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease and is coping with health issues that have affected him physically and mentally.

“Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating,” he said in a lengthy message to fans posted to Instagram on Wednesday.

The 44-year old said he wanted to “shed some light about what he’s been up against behind the scenes” on his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which began on April 29, 2024, in Vancouver and wrapped up in Istanbul on Tuesday.

Fans had recently criticized Timberlake for low-energy performances at recent concerts in Europe.

He said that he had dealt with a “massive amount of nerve pain” or at times felt “crazy fatigue or sickness” while on stage during the tour.

Timberlake posted this lengthy message on Instagram on Wednesday, revealing he has coped with a Lyme disease diagnosis and health issues while performing on his world tour. (@justintimberlake/Instagram)

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial infection that is usually the result of a blacklegged tick (or deer tick) bite. The illness progresses in stages.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, early signs of the illness can include fever, fatigue and muscle and joint aches, while later-stage symptoms can include pain in bones and nerves, weakness, tingling or loss of sensation in limbs, swelling of the brain and spinal cord, memory loss and the inability to think clearly.

“I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out,” he wrote.

“I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”

The former member of the boy band NSYNC thanked his fans for supporting him on his most recent tour and throughout the years.

“Your energy and love continues to humble me,” he said.

The SexyBack and Mirrors singer said he’s generally a private person and was “reluctant” to speak about his health conditions but that he’s “trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted.”

He added that he wants to do his part to help others living with the disease.

WATCH | What to watch out for when it comes to tick bites and rising cases of Lyme disease:

Dr. Samir Gupta, a Toronto-based respirologist, is warning of an increase in tick bites and tick-borne illnesses across Canada. Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of wild animals and are known to transmit bacteria through bites.

Twain, Lavigne struggled with Lyme disease

Timberlake’s battle with Lyme disease mirrors that of other top music stars who say their struggles with the illness affected their careers. 

Canadian country superstar Shania Twain, who was raised in Timmins, Ont., told The Canadian Press in 2017 that she was bitten by a tick in Norfolk, Va., and started immediately experiencing symptoms that threatened her performances.

Country singer Shania Twain, shown serving as the parade marshal at the Calgary Stampede on July 4, suffered a condition called dysphonia that affected her singing as a result of Lyme disease. (Dan McGarvey/CBC)

“I was on tour, so I almost fell off the stage every night,” said the You’re Still the One and Man! I Feel Like a Woman! singer-songwriter.

“I was very, very dizzy and didn’t know what was going on. It’s just one of those things you don’t suspect.”

Twain, 59, said she sought treatment and was subsequently diagnosed with Lyme disease. It resulted in a vocal cord disorder called dysphonia that left her unable to sing for a time and forced her to undergo extensive speech therapy and vocal training.

“It’s difficult work,” she said at the time. “It’s like dealing with an injury. I’m just glad that it’s not my heart or my kidneys or something like that.”

WATCH | Shania Twain shares how she came back from her struggle with Lyme disease:

Shania Twain is back on tour after a massive comeback. The superstar singer sits down with Ian Hanomansing to talk about her return after divorce, illness and her abusive upbringing that had her singing in bars at only eight years old.

Avril Lavigne has also spoken out about how Lyme disease affected her singing career.

Lavigne, who was raised in Napanee, Ont., got her diagnosis in 2014. She had endured fatigue and flu-like symptoms while out on tour, and it got to the point where she wasn’t able to get out of bed.

The following year, she told Good Morning America that she struggled to get a proper diagnosis. Lavigne, 40, wound up was putting her life and career on hold to recover.

The Complicated and Sk8er Boi singer-songwriter said in 2018 that it was the worst period of her life as the disease took a physical and emotional toll.

Avril Lavigne, performing at the Glastonbury Festival in England on June 30, 2024, says she struggled to get a proper diagnosis for Lyme disease after suffering from fatigue and flu-like symptoms. (Joe Maher/Getty Images)

Her health improved after a regimen of antibiotics and taking the time to rest.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, most people who are treated early with a course of antibiotics recover from the illness, but some can have prolonged symptoms. 

Bieber battled public perceptions

Back in 2020, pop superstar Justin Bieber wrote on Instagram that he had been through “a rough couple years” and revealed he was coping with Lyme disease.

Bieber, who was raised in Stratford, Ont., said he was getting treatment and vowed to be “back and better than ever.”

Justin Bieber, shown at the Grammy Awards ceremony in Las Vegas in April 2022, revealed his Lyme disease diagnosis in 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images)

Like Timberlake, Bieber, 31, also felt the need to speak out because of the public’s perceptions about him at the time.

“While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like [expletive], on meth etc. they failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health,” the Beauty and the Beat singer wrote.

WATCH | Is there hope for a Lyme disease vaccine for humans:

If left untreated, the infection can lead to severe heart, joint and nervous system problems. While there are vaccines for dogs, there are no Lyme vaccines approved for humans. Richard Cuthbertson has the story.