Pop singer Halsey has said she is “lucky to be alive” as she revealed she has been privately battling chronic illnesses.
The 29-year-old American shared the personal news in a social media post – at the same time as announcing a new album.
Halsey, whose real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, did not disclose the diagnosis, but tagged the Lupus Research Alliance and the Leukemia & Lymphona Society in the post.
In a video posted to Instagram, she described herself as “like an old lady”.
“I told myself I’m giving myself two more years to be sick,” she said.
“And 30… I’m having a rebirth and I’m not going to be sick and I’m going to look super hot and have lots of energy and I’m just going to get to redo my twenties in my thirties.”
Alongside the footage, she wrote a caption: “Long story short, I’m lucky to be alive. Short story long, I wrote an album.”
In the video, she rubbed her legs as she spoke, with what appeared to be medication on a coffee table in front of her.
She also shared images and footage in the post of herself receiving treatment for her illnesses, at times in tears.
The post also included snippets of her recording her fifth studio album.
Lupus is a long-term condition that causes joint and muscle pain, skin rashes and extreme tiredness. There is no cure but symptoms can improve if treatment starts early, according to the NHS website.
Leukemia and lymphoma are types of cancer that can affect blood cells and the immune system.
Halsey has spoken previously on social media about her health, saying in an Instagram post in April 2022: “The last time I attended the Grammys was 2017 and it was 3 days after I had my first Endometriosis surgery. I walked the carpet with my stitches still in.
“As luck would have it, I’m attending tomorrow for the first time in years and I had surgery again (you guessed it) 3 days ago. Only posting this to say, if you see me be gentle lol I’m fragile. Fragile but excited.”
The singer-songwriter is known for tracks including Closer with The Chainsmokers and Without Me. She released her debut album Badlands in 2015 which went platinum in the US.
In July 2022, Halsey joined Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams to feature in Calvin Harris’s summer single Stay With Me.