Type 2 Diabetes Affects Famous Folks, Too

Diabetes can affect everyone, and celebrities are no exception. Here are some notable people living with type 2 diabetes and successfully managing this condition.

Larry King of CNN and Sherri Shepherd of “The View” are two notable celebrities who live with type 2 diabetes. And they are far from the only well-known names with this type of diabetes — not surprising when you consider that more than 800,000 new cases of type 2 diabetes are diagnosed each year. Despite the challenges of this condition, these celebrities have learned to survive and even thrive with type 2 diabetes. Here’s how they've adapted and a few lessons you can take away from their stories

Larry King
He’s one of the most well-known television interviewers alive, but Larry King has faced many challenges in life other than confrontational guests. In a 2006 interview with Diabetes & You magazine, he revealed that a heart attack in 1987 made him give up smoking and change his lifestyle — and that a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in 1998 threw him another health curveball. King fights back against complications with a healthy diet, medications, and frequent checks of his A1C blood levels.

Randy Jackson
According to an interview with Everyday Health, when “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson got his type 2 diabetes wake-up call, he weighed about 350 pounds with a blood sugar level of more than 500. Rather than let the disease get the best of him, though, Jackson fought back by modifying his diet and getting plenty of healthy exercise, including walking. He also had a gastric bypass operation to help get his weight down.

Patti LaBelle
In an interview with Everyday Health, Patti LaBelle revealed that her mother died of type 2 diabetes complications at age 58. Yet LaBelle remained in denial about her own risk until she passed out onstage during a concert. After four long years of ignoring her symptoms, LaBelle finally took charge of her health, starting a regular exercise routine and a healthy diet. Today, LaBelle is 20 pounds lighter, is a diabetes spokesperson, and even has her own cookbook called Patti LaBelle’s Lite Cuisine.

Sherri Shepherd
Though Sherri Shepherd has garnered a lot of fans for her comedic chops on “The View,” she has also faced a rather public divorce and a diagnosis of diabetes. In an interview with Good Housekeeping magazine, the celebrity revealed how her mother died at age 41 from complications of type 2 diabetes. Vowing to not follow in her mother’s footsteps, Shepherd has forsaken sweets for a healthy diet and exercise and dropped from a size 16 to a size 8

Ben Vereen
Over the years, he’s been nominated for and won Tony, Golden Globe, and Emmy awards for his dancing, singing, and acting. These days, the multi-talented Ben Vereen spends most of his time as an advocate spreading awareness about type 2 diabetes. In an interview with WLS-TV ABC 7 News in Chicago, Vereen stressed the importance of people with diabetes checking their blood sugar in public. Vereen admits that this was the hardest hurdle for him to overcome, but now this celebrity is as comfortable reading his blood sugar as he is checking his cell phone.

David Wells
Type 2 diabetes can affect athletes, too, even successful ones like major league baseball pitcher David Wells. Though always large for a pitcher, Wells had a fruitful major league career, even achieving the hallmark pitching achievement, a perfect game. In 2007, he went public about his type 2 diabetes when he revealed his diagnosis to ESPN. Today, Wells is retired from pitching, but still works in baseball as a color commentator on television.

Joe Gibbs
As the head coach of the National Football League’s Washington Redskins, Gibbs won three Super Bowl titles in the 1980s and '90s. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the most successful owners on the car racing circuit with his team, Joe Gibbs Racing. According to the Web site dLife.com, Gibbs has compared dealing with a race car to diabetes management: If you don’t take care of the appropriate maintenance, you can’t expect either one to keep running

By Wyatt Myers
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH