Celebrities With Ulcerative Colitis (UC)

Medical records examined in 2002 showed that America's 35th president might have had, among other illnesses, ulcerative colitis. Severe bouts of diarrhea led some doctors to believe it was UC, though further review suggested it might have been irritable bowel syndrome.

Abe became prime minister of Japan in 2006. He resigned the next year because of ulcerative colitis. "I would need to go to the lavatory 30 times a day. It would be absolutely impossible to perform the heavy duties of prime minister," he told Australian TV network ABC in 2008. A year later, thanks to new medication, he was able to control his UC. He returned as prime minister in 2012 and has held the post ever since.

Best known for his role of President Charles Logan on the TV drama 24, Itzin got help after a bout of UC put him in the hospital during his run on the show. "Being scolded a bit by the doctor for not taking care of my ulcerative colitis shook me up," Itzin, now 71, told the Celebrity Health Minute in 2012. "I thought I just had a sensitive stomach, but that’s when I finally realized this is something that I really have to take care of."

Brenneman, star of the TV drama Judging Amy, has been a spokesperson for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (CCFA) of America, aiming to raise awareness for both UC and Crohn's. "I know firsthand," she said, "how devastating these diseases can be."

Lorre, the genius behind such TV comedies as The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, has UC. He mentioned it in one of the "cards" that appear at the end of episodes of his shows. "Being too poor to go to a doctor when I had ulcerative colitis made me a big supporter of free health care," this comedy king wrote, "as well as appreciative of the life-affirming qualities in a good bowel movement."

Benirschke, a former kicker in the NFL, originally was diagnosed with Crohn's, but after several surgeries during his 10-year pro football career, doctors told him he had ulcerative colitis. Now, he’s a spokesperson for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.

This American Idol contestant went to the hospital during his competition in 2011 after a flare-up of UC. He eventually finished sixth, and later served as a spokesperson for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. "It’s really not talked about that much because you’re going to the bathroom 10 to 14 times a day during a flare-up and there’s blood and it’s kind of embarrassing," he said. "But if you have it, you have to talk about it. You have to see a doctor."

Anderson, a celebrity chef, has been living with UC for more than 20 years. In 2014, she launched a website designed to educate those with inflammatory bowel disease about the role of diet and nutrition in managing symptoms of Crohn's and UC.

Reynolds, the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, announced on Twitter in 2018 that he’s had UC and another inflammatory disease, ankylosing spondylitis, for a decade. A year later, he let fans know that through diet and exercise, he has both diseases largely under control.

Redgrave, a British rower who won gold in five consecutive Olympics (1984-2000), is widely considered to be the greatest rower ever. UC symptoms endangered his run at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, but "with the right medical treatment, I've been able to keep the illness under control and continue with my life, both in training during my career as a professional athlete and in my life beyond the boat."

Pisani, who played in the National Hockey League for eight seasons, first began to notice symptoms of his disease in 2005. Pisani wrote in The Hockey News that he was going to the bathroom 20-30 times a day and losing lots of blood. His UC caused him to miss 26 games in the 2007-08 season, but it became controlled through medication.