Diabetes affects millions of people around the world — and celebrities are no exception. A number of some of the biggest names in film, music, sport and television have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and many have spoken openly about how it has changed their lives, their diets and their approach to health. Their stories are a reminder that the condition can affect anyone, regardless of wealth, fame or fitness level — and that with the right management, it is entirely possible to live a full, active and successful life with the diagnosis.
Here is a look at some of the most well-known celebrities with type 2 diabetes, what they have said about their diagnosis, and how they have chosen to manage it.
Tom Hanks — one of Hollywood’s most famous celebrity diabetes diagnoses
Perhaps the most widely discussed celebrity with type 2 diabetes is Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, who revealed his diagnosis on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2013. Hanks told the audience that his doctor had informed him his elevated blood sugar levels — which he had been living with since his mid-thirties — had finally tipped him into a full type 2 diabetes diagnosis. “I went to the doctor and he said, ‘You know those high blood sugar numbers you’ve been dealing with since you were 36? Well, you’ve graduated, you’ve got type 2 diabetes, young man,'” he recalled.
Speaking to the Radio Times three years later, Hanks admitted he had ignored warning signs and symptoms for years, describing himself as part of the “lazy American generation.” Since the diagnosis he has made significant changes to his diet and exercise habits, and has spoken candidly about the condition on multiple occasions since.
Halle Berry — managing type 2 diabetes through diet and fitness
Halle Berry is one of the most prominent celebrity advocates for diabetes awareness. The Academy Award-winning actress was initially diagnosed in her early twenties after collapsing on set, and for years believed she had type 1 diabetes. She has since clarified that her diagnosis is type 2, and has become one of the most vocal public figures around managing the condition through lifestyle changes.
Berry has credited the ketogenic diet — a high-fat, very low-carbohydrate approach — with dramatically improving her blood sugar management, and has spoken extensively about the role of diet and exercise in keeping her condition under control.
She has supported diabetes research over the years and developed a health and wellness app called rē-spin, through which she shares health and fitness content with her following. Her story is one of the most well-known celebrity diabetes journeys precisely because of how proactively she has engaged with her diagnosis.
Randy Jackson — gastric bypass and a total lifestyle overhaul
Former American Idol judge and record producer Randy Jackson was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the early 2000s, at a point when he was significantly overweight. Jackson underwent gastric bypass surgery, lost around 100 pounds and used the diagnosis as the catalyst for a complete transformation of his diet and exercise habits. He has spoken openly about the role weight plays in type 2 diabetes risk, and in 2021 told comedian Tiffany Haddish that he had to “break up” with food in order to get his health on track.
Jackson’s story is one of the more dramatic celebrity diabetes transformations — a person who used a serious health diagnosis as motivation to make changes he might not otherwise have made. It is a narrative that will resonate with many of the millions of people living with or at risk of the condition.
Johnny Cash — the Man in Black and type 2 diabetes
Country music legend Johnny Cash was among those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a condition he managed alongside a range of other serious health challenges in the later years of his life. Cash, who had a long history of substance misuse and health complications, was also diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy — a form of nerve damage often associated with diabetes — and later with Parkinson’s disease, though this diagnosis was subsequently revised.
He died in September 2003, just four months after the death of his wife June Carter Cash.
Cash’s inclusion on any list of celebrities with type 2 diabetes is a reminder that the condition does not discriminate — it affected one of the most revered artists in American music history just as it affects millions of ordinary people around the world.
Billie Jean King — diabetes and the sporting legend
Tennis great Billie Jean King, one of the most significant figures in the history of women’s sport, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007. Despite having spent her career as a professional athlete with a deep awareness of diet and fitness, King found the adjustment to her new dietary requirements challenging — particularly reducing her intake of carbohydrates and sugars. “That’s not fun for a lot of people, but it sure is fun to feel good,” she told Ladies’ Home Journal after making the changes.
King’s story is notable precisely because it demonstrates that even elite athletes with lifelong fitness habits are not immune to the condition. Type 2 diabetes has a significant genetic component alongside lifestyle factors, meaning it can affect people who have done everything right in terms of diet and exercise.
Drew Carey — dramatic weight loss after diagnosis
Comedian and television host Drew Carey was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and used it as the motivation for one of the most dramatic celebrity health transformations of recent years. Carey lost over 80 pounds through diet and exercise, and later revealed that his type 2 diabetes had gone into remission as a result. “I’m not diabetic anymore,” he told People magazine. “No medication needed.”
Carey’s story is frequently cited in discussions about the reversibility of type 2 diabetes through significant lifestyle changes — a subject that has attracted increasing scientific attention in recent years, with evidence suggesting that substantial weight loss can, in some cases, bring blood sugar levels back to a non-diabetic range.
His journey is one of the more inspiring celebrity stories associated with the condition. Health challenges have affected many of the biggest names in entertainment — you can read more about how public figures have navigated their battles over in our Celebrities section, including our piece on sports broadcaster Dick Vitale, who has faced his own very public health journey in recent years.
What these celebrity diabetes stories tell us
The range of people on this list — an Oscar-winning actor, a tennis legend, a country music icon, a comedian, a record producer and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars — underlines the point that type 2 diabetes is not a condition that singles out any particular type of person. It affects people of all ages, backgrounds, fitness levels and lifestyles, and it is estimated that over 37 million Americans and around 4.3 million people in the UK are currently living with the condition, according to Diabetes UK.
What these celebrity stories also demonstrate, however, is that a type 2 diabetes diagnosis is not the end of the story. With the right approach — whether that is dietary changes, exercise, medication, surgery or a combination of all four — it is entirely possible to manage the condition effectively and continue living a full and active life. For many of the people on this list, the diagnosis was the beginning of a healthier chapter rather than the end of anything.