Ten Celebrities with Incontinence
Posted by Renee Reintzel on Jul 26th 2024
Nearly one in three adults in the United States live with incontinence, and another 33 million live with overactive bladder. Yet despite these high numbers, incontinence is often viewed as a shameful or embarrassing secret. We learn to control our bladders and bowels as children, and loss of that control - for no matter what reason - degrades our self-confidence. Regardless of the medical cause, incontinence can feel like a personal failure.
Destigmatizing incontinence and normalizing the condition are important steps toward early incontinence diagnosis and treatment. As with most medical conditions, an early diagnosis can expand treatment options and improve outcomes! More celebrities are opening up about their experiences with incontinence, contributing to the destigmatization, and changing this common condition from a shameful secret to a shared experience. Below are ten famous people who have shared their experiences with incontinence.
1. Kris Jenner
Kris Jenner is the mother of the Kardashian clan and a household name. Known for her show, "Keeping Up with The Kardashians", Kris's journey with with urinary stress incontinence was explored publicly on the show. In one episode, Kris was teased by her daughters for constant trips to the bathroom. As the episode progressed, their teasing morphed into concern, and her daughters convinced Kris to talk to a doctor.
In true Kardashian fashion, Kris has been working to turn her incontinence into a business venture by becoming a spokesperson for incontinence products. “People think they’re the only ones dealing with this", she said. "When you realize that the woman sitting next to you is probably going through the same, you feel less lonely.”
2. Debbie Reynolds
Beloved mother to Carrie Fisher and cherished Hollywood darling Debbie Reynolds - known for her roles in Singing in the Rain and the Unsinkable Molly Brown - has also shared her experience with overactive bladder. Before opening up with friends, Debbie found incontinence to be isolating and embarrassing. She limited her lifestyle by planning trips around bathroom access or avoiding some trips altogether when she couldn't coordinate bathroom availability.
When she ultimately opened up about her incontinence challenges with friends, she found herself in excellent company. “It turn(s) out many of them [Reynold’s friends] had experienced the same problem, but they had gotten help,” she said. “They encouraged me to speak to my doctor and now I am glad I did.”
3. Samuel L. Jackson
The cool, sharp, and effortlessly talented Samuel Jackson has graced the big screen for decades in big-box hits from Pulp Fiction to Starwars to Marvel’s “Avengers” He revealed that he first lost control of his bladder at a young age - while he was still in his late 40s - and he struggled to accept the condition. After overcoming his initial embarrassment, Samuel soon realized that it was an issue that millions of Americans struggle with every day. Once he accepted his condition, Samuel embraced a comfortable and active lifestyle with products to help him effectively manage his incontinence. He's even publicly discussed how he wears adult briefs while working on movie sets!
4. Whoopie Goldberg
Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and Academy Award-winning Whoopi Goldberg has been public about her struggles with light bladder leakage. Whoopie has been candid about her incontinence and openly engages with incontinence manufacturers to help stamp out the taboo around bladder leakage and incontinence. As a spokesperson for incontinence products, Whoopie has actively campaigned to highlight how prevalent incontinence issues are and that light bladder leakage can happen to women of all ages.
She even launched a comedy series that reflected on the fact that 1 in 3 women have bladder issues. The “1 in 3 Like Me” campaign highlights how common incontinence is, and how bladder leakage can happen to women and men at any age.
5. Tony Romo
Tony Romo is a former NFL starting quarterback who played for the Dallas Cowboys for 14 years. After retiring from the sport, he was hired by CBS Sports and moved immediately to broadcasting where his current contract runs through 2030. While playing, Tony Romo developed a serious bladder infection which resulted in an overactive bladder diagnosis prior to the start of 2009 NFL season. Determined to overcome these issues and remain successful on the playing field, Romo took control of his symptoms, sporting adult absorbent briefs during practice.
6. Kate Winslet
A-list actress Kate Winslet, known for her blockbuster roles in Titanic and the Avatar series, revealed her challenges with incontinence in an episode of The Graham Norton Show in 2020. She explained how she developed stress urinary incontinence after the birth of her three children: Mia, Joe, and Bear. Kate ahred her experiences with bladder leakages when she sneezes or if she jumps on a trampoline. " “I can’t jump on trampolines anymore, I wet myself,” Winslet said on the U.K.’s The Graham Norton Show. “It’s bloody awful, especially if you’re wearing a skirt.”
“When you’ve had a few children you know, it’s just what happens,” she said. “It’s amazing, two sneezes, I’m fine. Three, it’s game over.”
7. Stephen King
He’s sold more than 350 million copies of books, including “The Shining” and “Carrie.” Often described as the “King of Horror,” when author Stephen King began experiencing symptoms of incontinence, he initially thought it was bladder cancer. After being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, King experienced a brief period of incontinence. While treatment for his urinary tract infection was effective, he has been open about keeping incontinence products by his bed “just in case.”
8. Katy Perry
As we know, incontinence doesn’t just target older people. Famous for her songs, “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot and Cold”, Katy Perry admitted to frequent incontinence in her teenage years. In fact, she revealed that she wore adult diapers regularly throughout her high school years.
Perry went through a number of treatments for incontinence, but she was determined to not let incontinence control her life. Ultimately, Perry’s doctors discovered her incontinence was due to a urinary tract infection. With some lifestyle changes, she found the right treatment and gained control over her bladder
9. Marie Osmond
Can you imagine performing in front of a crowd full of people and experiencing loss of bladder control on stage?
Marie Osmond, singer, actress and member of the Osmond family, lived through just that scenario. As Osmond was performing with her brother Donny on a cruise ship, there was a moment she laughed so hard that she let out a stream of urine during the show. After the initial embarrassment set in, Osmond wiped up the puddle, and as her brother stated, handled it with grace and humor.
10. Helena Bonham Carter
An Oscar-nominated British actress known for her roles in more than 50 films, including Fight Club, Enola Holmes, and the Harry Potter Series, Helena Bonham Carter developed stress incontinence after the birth of her second child. She has been open about the impact birth had on her body and the negative effects of returning to work too quickly. Helena has been open about her conviction that lack of adequate postpartum time for women to heal and strengthen their bodies contributes to post-birth incontinence.
To explore the wide range of incontinence supplies available for incontinence management, visit mycaresupplies.com/incontinence-products. For more information about incontinence support, explore our incontinence blog resources, including:
A Look at Absorbency Levels in Adult Incontinence Products
How To Boost Confidence When Using Adult Diapers
Selecting the Best Adult Absorbent Product for Fecal Incontinence
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