If you saw Justin Timberlake’s Forget Tomorrow World Tour, then you might have witnessed the star’s last major tour. In a surprising Instagram statement posted Thursday, July 31, Justin announced that he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, calling his ability to tour in the future into question.
Reflecting on the end of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour and the subsequent festival appearances for his latest album, Everything I Thought I Was, Justin called the last two years “the most fun, emotional, gratifying, physically demanding, and, at times, grueling experience.” He continued, saying that while he is a “pretty private person,” he had something important to share with his fans.
“Among other things, I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease,” he wrote in a statement shared both on the grid and in his Instagram Stories. The singer clarified that he was not sharing his diagnosis for sympathy, but “to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes.”
He continued, “Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically. When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage in a massive amount of nerve pain or just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness.” Though he considered canceling his tour, he said he decided to keep going because “the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling.”
As for why he’s speaking out now, Justin said, “I am trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted.” And while he didn’t clarify what “misinterpretations” he was trying to clear up, it’s possible it has something to do with the backlash he’s been getting, specifically regarding his recent live performances.
In February, Justin was forced to cancel the final show of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Ohio due to illness—and did so 12 minutes before the show was meant to start, sparking ire of attendees who made the trip to see him.
More recently, fans attending his sets at a string of international music festivals have noted that his energy was especially low, and videos Justin barely singing at some of his concerts went viral, causing many to wonder what was going on with the performer.
Unfortunately, it seems like this might be the end of the singer’s ability to tour—at least on this large of a scale. Towards the end of his statement, Justin said that while performing on stage was “sacred” to him, “I honestly don’t know what my future is onstage.”
He ended his statement by thanking the fans who attended his live shows over the years, as well as his touring crew, band, dancers, singers, and, of course, his wife Jessica Biel and their two sons. “Nothing is more powerful than your unconditional love,” he wrote. “You are my heart and my home. I’m on my way…”
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