Meet Your Favorite Celebs Who Know What It’s Like to Experience Migraine

Celebrities aren’t immune to migraine. From tennis great Serena Williams to “Friends” star Lisa Kudrow, you might be surprised to learn which of your favorite celebs experience migraine episodes.

It may seem like celebrities have it all — looks, money, and fame. Yet, they also face some of the same issues many people do, including health challenges.

Migraine affects an estimated 12% of the U.S. population, so it may not be surprising that this neurological condition affects celebrities, too.

Read on to meet some of the top celebrities who live with migraine.

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Serena Williams

Known as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Serena Williams had headaches in her youth but didn’t realize she had migraine until she was in her 20s. She says she often played through her pain because it wasn’t acceptable to stop a match for pain that people couldn’t see.

After experiencing escalating pain during the COVID-19 pandemic, she began taking Ubrelvy and is now a spokesperson for the medication. In her role, Williams has been raising awareness of migraine and the disparity that exists for Black people.

According to Dr. Jessica Kiarashi, speaking with the American Migraine Foundation, Black people may be less likely to receive a migraine or headache diagnosis than white people. Only 47% of Black people with headaches have an official diagnosis compared with 70% of white people with headaches.

Aly Raisman

Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman is also a spokesperson for Ubrelvy. Her mother lived with migraine, and Raisman remembers coming home from school to find her in bed with all the lights off during an attack.

Still, Raisman never assumed her own nausea, fatigue, and light and scalp sensitivity could be from the same condition.

Like Williams, she pushed through the pain during training and competition and assumed having a headache was a typical part of being an athlete. She even thought her headaches came from having her hair in a tight bun.

Lady Gaga

Singer, songwriter, and actress Lady Gaga received a diagnosis of migraine when she was 14. The disease was debilitating to the young star, who often missed school and rehearsals.

By the time she was 25, Lady Gaga was managing other medical conditions like fibromyalgia along with migraine. Though her migraine attacks were less painful than when she was a child, they became more frequent.

“The combination of pain from migraines and managing these other conditions had become so difficult that I was barely functional,” the Nurtec ODT spokesperson shares. “I can’t tell you how many primary care doctors’ visits I’ve cried through when they ask me how I’ve been feeling.”

Khloé Kardashian

U.S. media persona and reality star Khloé Kardashian began experiencing severe migraine in sixth grade. She says she experienced attacks throughout her life, but they increased after her pregnancy.

“I wish people understood how debilitating migraines can be. I get so frustrated when people tell me to push through and ‘it’s just a bad headache,’” she shares in a 2021 X post. “If only they knew! That feeling is torturous and indescribable. I can’t believe I left home without my migraine medication.”

Kristin Chenoweth

Lights are an occupational hazard for actress and singer Kristen Chenoweth. Spotlights, lights from the paparazzi, and press lines are all part of a day’s work. They’re also a trigger for migraine attacks.

Any light can bring on a migraine with aura, intense nausea, severe head pain, and vertigo for the star, who received diagnoses of vestibular migraine and Meniere’s disease after her first attack at 25 years old. Her episodes were so debilitating that she almost had to retire in her mid-30s.

In her opinion, trying Botox saved Chenoweth from retirement, reducing her frequent migraine attacks. She also takes calcium channel blockers and periodic triptan injections.

Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow has a family history of headaches that almost kept her from becoming an actress. The genetic condition runs in her family, and her father and brother are both in the medical field and study the condition.

Kudrow, who experienced migraine since she was a child, earned a biology degree from Vassar College and even co-authored a research paper on headaches.

Kudrow’s father was a renowned clinical researcher who studied the condition after experiencing cluster headaches while he was a premed student. Her brother also became a neurologist with a specialty in headache medicine.

Whitney Cummings

Comedian Whitney Cummings experienced her first migraine attack in her childhood and spent most of her life adjusting to the days’ long migraine attacks.

Her breakthrough came in her mid-30s when a neurologist helped Cummings identify that her anxiety about getting attacks was, in part, causing them. She now takes medication to blunt the surge of adrenaline and ward off a migraine attack.

Cummings also follows other healthy habits. Eating a healthy diet, exercising in moderation, and following a sleep schedule are important, especially when she’s on the road while performing her one-woman comedy shows.

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck is one of the few male celebrities who are known to have migraine attacks. Affleck was taken to the emergency room for a migraine attack while directing “Gone Baby Gone.” He said he was working hard at the time and attributed the attack to stress.

While working on a demanding project or experiencing a stressful life event, supporting yourself in other ways is important.

These ways include:

• getting enough sleep
• eating a nutritious, varied diet
• making time for movement and exercise
• practicing stress relief techniques like deep breathing or yoga
• spending time with loved ones
• doing leisure activities

Celebrity star power

Even though celebrities may seem glamorous, migraine may be the same for almost anyone experiencing it. Many people have difficulty understanding this debilitating neurological disease and have to work to find relief — just like you.

Celebrity voices can also bring star power and increase awareness about migraine. By speaking up about their experience with migraine, stars encourage understanding of the disease and reduce its stigma.