As Justin Timberlake bid farewell to his Forget Tomorrow world tour, he got candid with fans about his health.
The โMirrorsโ and โSexyBackโ pop star, 44, on Thursday revealed in a heartfelt Instagram post that he powered through his circuit of live performances as he battled a โrelentlessly debilitatingโ bout of Lyme disease. The singer, who faced backlash for his low-energy performances in recent weeks, said in his lengthy caption that sharing his health issues was to help him โshed some light on what Iโve been up against behind the scenes.โ
The Grammy-winning singer and actor went in depth about the diseaseโs mental and physical toll. Although he said he was โshockedโ by the diagnosis, he said it provided some clarity.
โAt least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness,โ he continued. โI was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out.โ
The Mayo Clinic defines Lyme disease as an illness โcaused by borrelia bacteriaโ that humans can get if they are bitten by an infected tick. Symptoms of Lyme disease can include joint stiffness, muscle aches and pains, fever and headache. Antibiotics are used to treat the disease.
Timberlake, amid the โfleeting stress my body was feeling,โ said he opted to continue with his tour. โIโm so glad I kept going,โ he said.
Pushing through with the tour, which began in April 2024 in Vancouver and ended Wednesday in Turkey, allowed Timberlake to prove his โmental tenacity,โ he said. The singer said he would also work to be โmore transparent about my strugglesโ with fans.
Throughout his tour, Timberlake faced a handful of personal and public obstacles. In October 2024, he announced the postponement of several shows to recover from bronchitis and laryngitis. That same month, he also abruptly called off a concert in Newark, N.J., because of an injury.
Notably, the former โNSYNC frontman carried on with his slate of shows last year after his DWI arrest in the Hamptons in June 2024. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of impaired driving, his driving privileges were suspended and he was sentenced in September to 25 hours of community service at a nonprofit of his choosing. He was also required to make a public safety announcement about the dangers of impaired driving.
After sharing his health update, Timberlake reminisced on his touring experience, continuing his post in his own comments section. He thanked supporters for their โenergy and loveโ and the crew and artists who joined him on the road. Though performing live is โsacredโ to the โSuit & Tieโ music star, he said the status of his stage career remains unclear.
โI honestly donโt know what my future is onstage but Iโll always cherish this run! And all of them before,โ he wrote. โItโs been the stuff of LEGEND for me.โ
He ended his post sending love to his actor wife Jessica Biel and their two children. His caption accompanied a carousel of behind-the-scenes photos.
Former Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.