Discover amazing facts about some of the world's most popular songs
Mila Kunis revealed that she was blind in one eye for several years during her twenties. The 'Black Swan' (2010) star kept the problem a secret until 2011, when she finally had surgery and regained full vision.
In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Johnny Depp shared that he has had extremely poor vision for most of his life.
Missy Elliott suffers from an autoimmune condition called Grave's disease, which affects the thyroid. The thyroid gland over-produces hormones, which can cause the eyes to become more prominent and bulge. This can lead to blurred vision.
Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can lead to blindness. It's the leading cause of blindness in people over 60. However, Bono is proof that vision can be preserved with the proper treatment and regular eye checks.
He explained that he developed congenital glaucoma as a result of an accident when he was a child, and ended up having his left eye surgically removed. He used a prosthetic eye for a while, but eventually decided to own it and go all natural.
Legendary musician Ray Charles was born with congenital glaucoma in 1930. Left untreated, the disease left him completely blind by the age of seven. However, Charles never saw his loss of sight as a drawback. He used Braille to learn the piano, and the rest is history!
Stevie Wonder is another famously blind musical legend. Wonder was born blind due to a rare condition called retinopathy of prematurity. This eye disease occurs in premature babies born earlier than 31 weeks.
It causes abnormal blood vessels to develop at the back of the eye, resulting in blindness. Obviously this didn't hold him back! Wonder is still going strong as a music pioneer and performer in his seventies.
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the retina, causing swelling and bleeding inside the eyes. Luckily, this condition is usually diagnosed and treated much more effectively these days.
Professional basketball player Stephen Curry was diagnosed with keratoconus, a condition that causes the corneas to thin. It usually progresses through adolescence and adulthood, and can lead to blindness if left untreated.
The famed Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli lost his sight at the age of 12. He was born with glaucoma, which already affected his vision, but he went blind after hitting his head in a soccer accident. Nonetheless, his natural flair for music continued and he became one of the best-selling artists of all time.
The late Larry King developed cataracts later in life. Cataracts cause the eye lens to become cloudy and blur the vision, but can be safely and effectively removed through surgery to restore normal vision.
The former US President (and Hollywood actor) suffered from severe short-sightedness. He enlisted in the Army in 1942, but wasn't allowed to take part in combat due to his poor vision. “If we sent you overseas, you’d shoot a general,” one doctor told him. It was said he could only see one yard (91 cm) in front of him.
Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas was born with a disease called nystagmus. It causes rapid involuntary eye movements and seriously impacts his vision. He is legally blind in both eyes, but says “I’m comfortable not using my vision."
The great American author Alice Walker, known for her novel 'The Color Purple,' lost sight in her right eye at the age of eight when her brother shot her with a BB gun. When she had surgery a few years later, the doctor told her she risked losing vision in both of her eyes. Walker said that she “dashed about the world madly…storing up images against the fading of the light.” Luckily, she didn't lose her sight entirely.
American artist Georgia O’Keeffe also developed AMD later in life. She lost her central vision and only retained her peripheral vision, making it difficult to continue painting. She worked more with charcoal than oil paint as her vision deteriorated.
Rapper Slick Rick is known for wearing a range of audacious eye patches on stage. His right eye was blinded by broken glass when he was an infant.
Sources: (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) (American Academy of Ophthalmology) (Perkins School for the Blind) (Discovery Eye Foundation) (Ozy)
Kunis had been suffering from a condition called iritis, which causes inflammation of the iris. The iritis caused a cataract that impaired her vision until she had it removed. It also slightly changed the color of the affected eye! Kunis now has very subtle heterochromia.
Curry underwent a procedure called corneal crosslinking to strengthen his corneas, and with the help of special contact lenses, his vision has greatly improved. He says he still squints on the court, but it doesn't affect his game too much.
Bono's tinted sunglasses are part of his trademark look. However, his unique eyewear isn't just a fashion choice. In 2014, the U2 front man shared that he had been suffering from glaucoma for 20 years.
British musician and Radiohead front man Thom Yorke was born with some paralysis on the left side of his face, causing his eyelid to droop. He underwent five surgeries to fix this, but unfortunately the final surgery damaged his eye, leaving him with impaired vision.
Elton John shared the sad news in September that he had suffered a serious eye infection that left him with only limited sight in one eye, and he confirmed on Sunday that he is still unable to see.
On Wednesday, in an interview with ‘Good Morning America,’ the legendary singer explained, “I, unfortunately, lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see.” However, the 77-year-old confirmed that “there’s hope and encouragement that it will be OK,” and he is taking time to recuperate.
Understandably, this has affected his ability to work, so fans were delighted to see him attend a gala performance of 'The Devil Wears Prada' musical on December 7, for which he wrote the music. While there, he spoke of his sadness at not being able to see the show, but praised the music and thanked his husband for being his “rock.”
Sadly, Elton John isn’t the only celebrity suffering with their sight. Click through the following gallery to see which famous figures have faced similar problems.
Elton John opens up about losing his eyesight
The singer has had severely limited vision since July
CELEBRITY Health
Elton John shared the sad news in September that he had suffered a serious eye infection that left him with only limited sight in one eye, and he confirmed on Sunday that he is still unable to see.
On Wednesday, in an interview with ‘Good Morning America,’ the legendary singer explained, “I, unfortunately, lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the south of France and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see.” However, the 77-year-old confirmed that “there’s hope and encouragement that it will be OK,” and he is taking time to recuperate.
Understandably, this has affected his ability to work, so fans were delighted to see him attend a gala performance of 'The Devil Wears Prada' musical on December 7, for which he wrote the music. While there, he spoke of his sadness at not being able to see the show, but praised the music and thanked his husband for being his “rock.”
Sadly, Elton John isn’t the only celebrity suffering with their sight. Click through the following gallery to see which famous figures have faced similar problems.