Disclosure: State of Alabama-based writer. This article is a work from cited sources for informational purposes and is used with permission. No affiliate links are included.
Comedian and former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres recently shared a deeply personal revelation during her new Netflix comedy special, For Your Approval. In her signature light-hearted style, DeGeneres, 66, revealed that she has been diagnosed with three conditions: osteoporosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Despite the serious nature of these diagnoses, Ellen couldn’t help but infuse humor into the moment. “I don’t even know how I’m standing up right now,” she joked. “I’m like a human sandcastle. I could disintegrate in the shower.” Reflecting on the difficulties of aging gracefully under the public eye, she added, “It’s hard to be honest about aging and seem cool.”
Ellen also opened up about the pain of arthritis, recounting a day when she experienced “excruciating pain” that led her to believe she had torn a ligament. However, after an MRI, doctors diagnosed her with arthritis. “I said, ‘How did I get that?’ And he said, ‘Oh, it just happens at your age.’”