Halsey, whose real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, did not explicitly disclose her diagnoses. She did, however, tag the nonprofits Lupus Research Alliance and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in her post.
A post shared by halsey (@iamhalsey)
Lupus is a chronic condition caused by inflammation in one or more parts of the body. According to Lupus Canada, the disease is “complex and baffling” and can target any tissue or organ of the body, including skin, muscles, blood, heart and the brain. An estimated one in 1,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with lupus. There is no cure.
Leukemia and lymphoma are both forms of blood cancer. Respectively, leukemia affects the blood and bone marrow while lymphoma affects a part of the body that protects from disease and infection, called the lymphatic system. Both conditions are commonly treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. There were an estimated 6,900 new cases of leukemia in Canada in 2020, and 11,400 new diagnoses of lymphoma in the same year.
In her Instagram post, Halsey shared several videos, one of which shows her massaging her legs, seemingly in pain.
“I feel like an old lady,” the Without Me singer bemoaned. “I told myself I’m giving myself two more years to be sick. When I’m 30, I’m having a rebirth and I’m not going to be sick, and I’m going to look super-hot and have lots of energy, and I’m just going to get to re-do my 20s in my 30s.”
Halsey also shared videos of herself receiving medical treatments, crying and strumming a guitar.
Alongside the admission her personal health, Halsey released a new song chronic illness, called The End.
“Every couple of years now / a doctor says I’m sick / pulls out a brand-new bag of tricks / and then they lay it on me,” they sing in the single.
