World Diabetes Day: 10 stars who have bravely opened up about their health

British actor James Norton, best known for his roles in series like Happy Valley and Grantchester, revealed that he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 22 years old. He’s spoken openly over the years about his condition, including a particularly scary moment where his blood sugar levels dropped dramatically at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2024.

“I was dripping with sweat,” James confessed to Ed Gamble and James Acaster on the Off Menu podcast, revealing that he was forced to ask a waiter for some orange juice. “That caused pandemonium to break loose. I was looking really ill at this point”. 

The actor also appeared on CBeebies to read a book about understanding diabetes to children, giving advice to parents whose children have recently been diagnosed. “Focus on caring for them, not just their condition. The key thing is you control the diabetes, it doesn’t control you.”

Lila Moss, daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, is proving to be as fierce as her mother both on and off the runway. The model was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child, and had used her platform to raise awareness around the condition, even proudly displaying her insulin pump on the runway during Milan Fashion Week in 2021. 

During an appearance on “Diary of a Model” on Vogue’s YouTube channel, Lila shared that the only thing she knew about diabetes as a child was from the Disney show Hannah Montana (2006). “When Oliver gets diagnosed with diabetes, that was my only insight into it ever,” she reflected. “When they told me, I was kind of in shock…then the reality set in, of, like, you’re gonna have this forever.”

She has since appeared in numerous campaigns showcasing her insulin pump, and was the first person to meet the brand-new Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes in 2025, receiving her own custom doll as a tribute to her activism.

Legendary actor Tom Hanks revealed his Type 2 diabetes diagnosis on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2013, sharing that he’d been experiencing the symptoms for over 20 years. "’You know those high blood sugar numbers you've been dealing with since you were 36? Well you've graduated,’” Tom said, relaying his doctor’s words. “‘You've got type 2 diabetes, young man.’"

The Forrest Gump star has since described his condition as manageable, remarking that he now watches what he eats “to the point of boredom”. “I thought I could avoid it by removing the buns from my cheeseburgers…it takes a little bit more than that,” Tom honestly reflected to Radio Times. He’s since taken steps to adapt his lifestyle, and is said to enjoy getting out on a daily walk or a hike with his beloved dog. 

Actress Halle Berry was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 22 after a shock collapse from diabetic ketoacidosis – a build-up of ketones in the blood – that led to her spending several days in a coma.

“It was a moment I’ll never forget. I had to re-spin the way I lived my life and have carried that with me ever since,” the Catwoman star told Insider. She later became an ambassador for the National Diabetes Education program in 2004.

Actress Salma Hayek has been refreshingly candid about her experience with gestational diabetes, which she developed while pregnant with her daughter, Valentina, in 2007. The condition often resolves itself after birth, but can also increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life. According to Diabetes UK, it affects between 10 to 20 percent of pregnant women – and while there are steps to help minimise the risk, it’s something that can affect even the healthiest mum-to-be

“You don’t know if [the baby is] going to be healthy; you are completely out of control,” the Frida star told Glamour in 2008, recalling the anxiety of navigating her symptoms. She credits her determination with helping her through, telling herself, “This is what it takes for me, and I really want it”.

Pop princess Meghan Trainor got candid about "a tiny bump in the road" with her 2020 pregnancy. The All About That Bass singer opened up to the Today show to share that she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes while pregnant with her son, Riley.

“It's manageable and it's OK, and I'm healthy and the baby's healthy," Meghan shared at the time. "I just have to really pay attention to everything I eat. It's nice to learn so much about food and health, and nice to hear that so many women have experienced this."

Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just 13-years-old, Nick Jonas has become one of the biggest celebrity faces championing diabetes awareness. The Jonas Brothers member and former Disney star has shared how his symptoms, like exhaustion and weight loss, intensified during tours and long filming days, leaving him worried that the condition might derail his ability to perform.

In one of many candid Instagram posts, the Jealous hitmaker shared: “After my Type 1 diabetes diagnosis at 13, it felt like someone was shutting the door on my dreams…I wish that I could go back and tell my younger self that everything turns out better than I could ever imagine”. 

Nick co-founded the charity Beyond Type 1 in 2015, and even wrote the emotional track A Little Bit Longer about his journey with the condition.

Singer and actress Vanessa Williams had spoken openly about her Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, revealing the profound impact of losing her grandmother to complications from the illness.

The Grammy winner gave a heartfelt speech at an event for the StayWell Guam Diabetes Foundation, reflecting on the heartbreak of losing a family member to diabetes and the uncertainty she faced around her own diagnosis.

“I chose to focus on my long-term goal and rise above it,” Vanessa said, who went on to be the first black Miss America and a star of both stage and screen. “Circumstance was not about to hold me back, and it shouldn’t hold us back in educating others about diabetes awareness either”. 

Musician Este Haim, one-third of the Haim sisters, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2000 at just age 14. She previously made headlines after nearly passing out on the side of the stage at Glastonbury in 2013, an incident widely attributed to low blood sugar.

“I was so excited to play that I forgot to eat, and I got on stage, and three songs in, I was like, oh, I’m about to have a full blown seizure and pass out,”’ Este shared in the past, candidly reflecting that she needed to take her condition more seriously. “I made a promise to my sisters, my boyfriend, my parents, my friends, and myself that I would do everything I could to take care of my body,” she told NY Mag. “I want to be around for them, and playing bass until I’m 110”. 

Grammy-winning singer Patti LaBelle was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1995, after passing out on-stage during a performance in New York City. With a family history of the disease, Patti has been open about confronting her diagnosis and the lifestyle changes it required.

“I was in denial,” she admitted to New York Amsterdam News. “Eventually, I realized my glucose levels weren’t getting any better, and I knew it was time to do something”. The multihyphenate star has since added “chef” to her many accomplishments, releasing her cookbook “Patti LaBelle’s Lite Cuisine” filled with recipes she uses to manage the condition. 

“You can take hold of the situation,” she told People in 2008. “I feel great now. I live the right way. I wear fierce clothes. God has blessed me. Everything I do now, I do it proud. I am a divabetic!”