19 Famous People That Have Psoriasis

If you feel like you're alone in dealing with psoriasis—an autoimmune disorder that causes skin cells to grow rapidly—we promise you're not. Over 7.5 million adults in America have psoriasis. And among those millions of Americans, are celebrities too. That's right, there are quite a few celebrities who struggle with this chronic condition.

What Is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune that causes visible signs of skin inflammation that may present as plaques or scales on the skin. These plaques or scales are piles of skin cells that don't shed as normal skin cells do. Psoriasis can affect skin anywhere on the body but is most commonly found on the elbows, knees, and scalp. This condition can be associated with other health conditions like psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis affects many people. Here, we spotlight 19 famous celebrities who openly struggle with psoriasis.

Jonathan Van Ness

The lovable JVN from Netflix's "Queer Eye" reboot has been very upfront about their battle with psoriasis. They told Allure in 2018 that it took them five doctors to figure out what was going on with their skin.

At first, they were told their skin condition was an allergic reaction. After struggling with flare-ups for seven years, Van Ness has learned to love their body.

"I do feel like I'm in a place of acceptance with it now. Like it doesn't really bother me even if I do have a flare-up, but it took me a minute to get there," Van Ness told Allure. Now, they can be seen proudly showing off their unedited skin all over Instagram. Yes, hunny!

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian, reality TV star, was 30 years old at the time of her psoriasis diagnosis—the same age that her mother, Kris Jenner, was when she was diagnosed with the condition. Psoriasis most often appears between the ages of 15 and 25 and does have a strong genetic component.

Kardashian announced her diagnosis on an episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" in 2011. She visited her doctor, Harold Lancer, MD, regarding a rash on her body, which Dr. Lancer diagnosed as psoriasis. Dr. Lancer advised Kardashian to try to reduce levels of stress in her life because stress can be a trigger for some people with psoriasis.

CariDee English

Before becoming America's Next Top Model in 2006, CariDee English fought a long battle with psoriasis. Diagnosed at age five, English found all kinds of ways to hide the condition, which at one point covered 80% of her body. She wore long sleeves in the middle of summer and avoided wearing t-shirts outside.

By her 20s, English realized that she didn't want psoriasis to control her life. She wanted to take away the stigma of psoriasis and became a model. Now, English is surrounded by support within the psoriasis community and encourages others to share their stories.

Art Garfunkel

Art Garfunkel, a well-known artist who sang in partnership with Paul Simon, revealed on his website that he has psoriasis. Once while on a concert tour of Israel, Garfunkel soaked in the Dead Sea hoping to find relief from his symptoms. "I've been told that if you float in that salty, buoyant water, it's very good for the skin," Garfunkel wrote on his website. "I found it not so much therapeutic as beautiful."

Dara Torres

Swimmer Dara Torres has won 12 medals in five different Olympic Games. Torres was also one of the first celebrities to publicly announce that she has psoriasis. Torres started having symptoms of red, itchy patches on her elbows and back in the mid-90s.

Torres has found that the chlorine in pools is one of her psoriasis triggers, along with stress. She exercises regularly to maintain her stress levels, which in turn helps to control her psoriasis.

Part of her mission is to make sure others with the condition aren't kept out of the pool either because they're self-conscious or because people think it's catching. "Nobody should have to feel that way, which is why I wanted to use my position to let others know that they are not alone." Torres shared with People magazine. "I think it is amazing that more celebrities are speaking out and sharing their stories."

Jon Lovitz

Former "Saturday Night Live" actor and comedian Jon Lovitz first thought he had a rash in the form of "red dots" on his arms, only to be told he actually had plaque psoriasis. In 2011, Lovitz wrote a piece in the Huffington Post about his condition: "It was terrible. At one point, my skin flared up so much so that the red dots started connecting (picture a human etch-a-sketch)," said Lovitz. "Nearly half of my body was covered in red, scaly patches."

His advice to others with psoriasis is to speak with their dermatologist and be honest about how the disease affects their life. Together, you can work on figuring out treatment. And remember—there's nothing to be embarrassed about. "On a less serious note, why be embarrassed about psoriasis?" said Lovitz. "Nobody is perfect, right? Trust me, I would know. I make fun of people for a living, remember?"

LeAnn Rimes

The two-time Grammy winner was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was just two years old. By the time she was six, it covered 80% of her body. She was often stigmatized as the "scaly girl" when she was a child. As an adult, she was always afraid to wear short dresses on the red carpet and would opt for long dresses or pants instead.

Rimes' psoriasis is now clear, thanks to medication and careful lifestyle choices such as exercising and eating healthy. Doing a magazine shoot in a bikini was "one of the highlights of my life," Rimes told Health, "to think, Oh my god, I can't believe that's me. To feel vibrant like a woman, to want to show off that I have clear skin, it's the happiest day of my life."

Stacy London

Stacy London's psoriasis was so bad as a child that she avoided her reflection in the mirror. The "What Not to Wear" stylist said, "I was diagnosed very early in my life...and that made me feel very self-conscious at a very, very young age." She turned to fashion to boost her self-esteem.

Luckily, London found a "miracle" treatment that helped with her symptoms. "Eventually I found this kind of miracle topical steroid that cleared up my skin miraculously after two years...." said London.

John Updike

A lifelong battle with psoriasis inspired some of novelist John Updike's fiction. In fact, readers can partly credit the condition for making him a writer in the first place.

"Because of my skin, I counted myself out of any of those jobs—salesman, teacher, financier, movie star—that demand being presentable," he once wrote in The New Yorker. "What did that leave? Becoming a craftsman of some kind, closeted and unseen—perhaps a cartoonist or a writer, a worker in ink who can hide himself and send out as surrogate presence, a signature that multiplies even while it conceals."

Mabelynn Capelui

Mabelynn Capelui—Miss California 2013—was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was 16 years old. At that age, Capelui became self-conscious of her skin, but she learned how to live with the condition, which allowed her to become more confident in her skin.

"I've struggled with it. I've struggled with my self-confidence," Capelui told The Huffington Post. "And I really want to reach out to other people who are struggling with that, 'Look, if I can overcome it, you can too.'"

Phil Mickelson

About 30% of people who have psoriasis go on to develop psoriatic arthritis, a chronic, inflammatory disease that affects your joints. Pro golfer Phil Mickelson is one of them.

Mickelson developed painful joint inflammation in 2010—eight years after he was diagnosed with the skin condition. Mickelson's doctor put him on an individualized treatment program to manage his symptoms. Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include:

• Fatigue
• Pain and swelling over tendons
• Stiffness, pain, swelling, and tenderness in one or more joints
• Reduced range of motion

Eli Roth

Director Eli Roth reportedly got the inspiration for his blockbuster horror film "Cabin Fever" after contracting a flesh-eating disease (a bacterial infection unrelated to psoriasis) and because he has suffered for years from psoriasis. One outbreak was so severe he could not walk or wear clothes.

When not directing horror films (others include "Hostel" and "Hostel: Part II", he acts, having played opposite Brad Pitt as Sergeant Donny Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds".

Jerry Mathers

In addition to portraying "Beaver" on the all-American sitcom "Leave It to Beaver", Mathers struggled with psoriasis as a child. Although his case is relatively mild, staying for the most part on his heels and buttocks, "it has been a source of embarrassment," Mathers told USA Today in 2012.

"Most people...see someone with it and wonder what's wrong," Mathers told USA Today. "They probably wonder what it is and how they might catch it. As a kid you particularly feel that scrutiny and it can be real uncomfortable." Psoriasis is not contagious, so you cannot catch it or spread it to another person. Psoriasis is caused by specific triggers which can vary for each person.

Liam Gallagher

Liam Gallagher, singer of the British rock band Oasis, spoke about his experience with psoriasis in a 2011 interview with Q magazine. He said the condition resulted in "bad skin" and that he deals with rashes all over his body, with the exception of his face. Gallagher said the skin condition caused him to have bouts of bad dandruff, so much so that one of his fans mistook it for illicit drugs stuck in his hair.

Cara Delevingne

During a red carpet appearance to promote her movie "Suicide Squad", model-meets-actress Cara Delevingne has spoken in the past about her experience with stress-related psoriasis.

At the 2022 Met Gala, Delevingne's body was wrapped in gold, but she chose to leave her tattoos and psoriasis exposed. "At first I was like, 'Wait a minute, I should cover this up, right?' and then I remembered, though, that it's not good for my skin and a lot of people live with psoriasis," Delevingne told Glamour.

Cyndi Lauper

The pop star Cyndi Lauper has been vocal about living with psoriasis and has even teamed up with the National Psoriasis Foundation campaign I'm PsO Ready to speak about issues relating to the condition.

Lauper first noticed symptoms (a scalp flare-up) while on tour and the condition soon spread to other areas of her body. She tried alternative treatments like coffee enemas before settling on a regimented immune treatment that has her back to her normal levels of physical activity. "It's important to know that you're not alone," Lauper told the American Academy of Dermatology.

Kris Jenner

Keeping Up With the Kardashians matriarch Kris Jenner was diagnosed with the skin condition at age 30. Although not much is known about the exact triggers of the disease, it's clear that Jenner passed the genetic condition onto her daughter, Kim Kardashian, who was also diagnosed at 30 years old.

Kardashian said her mother never showed extreme signs of psoriasis like a red rash or flaky skin, so she didn't realize how debilitating the disease could be until she got it herself. Like symptoms, triggers and treatments for the disease vary from person to person.

La La Anthony

Author, actress, and TV personality La La Anthony—who also happens to be a pal of Kim Kardashian—told People in 2015 that she lived with psoriasis for nearly a decade before finding out there was a name for her symptoms.

"About 10 years ago is when I first noticed it, and I didn't know what it was," said Anthony. "I had it really bad in my scalp and behind my ears, but my scalp is where I suffer from it the worst."

Anthony partnered with the National Psoriasis Foundation to encourage others not to let the autoimmune condition hold them back. "It's something that we have; it doesn't make us any less human, or weird or freaky," Anthony told People. "It's about being open with what we have and being open with other people who are suffering from the same thing."

Katie Lowes

At age 28, the actress had just gotten engaged and been signed for a role in the series Scandal. All that stress, even though it was good stress, had an unexpected outcome: Lowes was diagnosed with psoriasis. The symptoms have affected the back of her neck, behind her ears, the base of her head, and behind her ears, she told People. Since then, stress has continued to be one of Lowes' biggest triggers. Her solution? "I do Hatha yoga…three times a week, and do two hikes a week," she told the LA Times, adding that as far as psoriasis goes, she is now her "own boss."

A Quick Review

Psoriasis affects many people in the U.S.—and that includes celebrities. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Jonathan Van Ness, Art Garfunkel, and Stacy London are some of the celebrities who have spoken out about their condition and how they have learned to manage it.