Comedian and former talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres , recently shared some shocking news about her health. During her new Netflix special For Your Approval , DeGeneres revealed that she’s been diagnosed with three different medical conditions. The 66-year-old star, while discussing the challenges of getting older, told the audience about her recent visits to the doctor that led to some unexpected discoveries.
The first was osteoporosis. DeGeneres explained that her doctor suggested she take a bone density test. “I don’t even know how I’m standing up right now,” she joked after learning the results. “I’m like a human sandcastle. I could disintegrate in the shower.” Osteoporosis is a condition that makes bones weak and brittle. It’s pretty common among older women— 1 in 5 women over 50 have it.
Ellen DeGeneres reveals she’s diagnosed with osteoporosis, OCD and ADHD during her Netflix special. pic.twitter.com/6dPNknB1Ur
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DeGeneres also talked about dealing with arthritis pain. She described having ‘excruciating pain’ one day and thinking she’d torn a ligament. An MRI, however, revealed it was just arthritis. The doctor allegedly informed, “Oh it just happens at your age.” That’s not all. DeGeneres went on to share two more diagnoses. One of them was obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and another was attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). DeGeneres said she learned about her OCD during therapy sessions. She was seeing a therapist to help deal with “all the hatred” coming her way after the controversy surrounding her talk show in 2020 when allegations of a toxic work environment surfaced. “I didn’t know what OCD was,” DeGeneres admitted, as per the New York Post .
Ellen DeGeneres revealed a triple health diagnosis of osteoporosis, OCD, and ADHD in her Netflix special: Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval. “I’m like a human sandcastle. I could disintegrate in the shower,” she joked.
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She explained that her upbringing in Christian science meant health issues weren’t really discussed. Additionally, she speculated that her father probably had OCD too. “He would check the doorknob 15 times before we would leave, he would check the faucet 15 times. He would unplug all the appliances before we left the house because lightning could strike and it could catch fire,” she recalled. As for ADHD, DeGeneres said it makes it hard for her to focus on anything. She joked about how difficult it was to put her comedy special together because of her attention issues.
However, DeGeneres managed to find humor and quipped, “So, I have ADD, I have OCD, I am losing my memory…But I think I am well-adjusted because I obsess about things, but I don’t have the attention span to stick with it, and I quickly forget what I was obsessing about in the first place.” The comedian also reflected on how aging has changed her perspective. “It doesn’t totally make up for arthritis or brittle bones. But with perspective, you realize that caring what people think to a degree is healthy, but not if it affects your mental health,” she said, as per Fox 5 .