Blurring Personal Health and Public Priorities: An Analysis of Celebrity Health Narratives in the Public Sphere

Abstract

This article explores the functions of personal celebrity health narratives in the public sphere. This study examines data about 157 celebrities, including athletes, actors, musicians, and politicians, who have shared private information regarding a personal health situation (or that of a loved one) with others in the public domain. Part of a larger project on celebrity health narratives, this article highlights three key functions that celebrity health narratives perform—education, inspiration, and activism—and discusses the implications for celebrities and for public conversations about health-related issues.