Kesha has opened up about a time in which she “almost died” earlier this year after suffering a medical emergency.
The US pop singer, 36, revealed in an interview with Self that she was diagnosed last year with the autoimmune disease CVID (common variable immunodeficiency).
CVID is estimated to affect between 25,000 and 50,000 people globally, and can cause the immune system to mistakenly target healthy parts of the body. Symptoms are extremely varied, but can include fatigue and digestive problems and can lead to complications such as lung disease.
“I almost died in January,” Kesha (full name Kesha Rose Sebert) told the publication.
Last year, the “Tik Tok” singer-songwriter froze her eggs in a fertility procedure. On New Year’s Eve, she played a gig in the Bahamas, before falling ill and becoming unable to walk.
After being rushed to hospital, it was discovered that she had suffered an “uncommon yet serious” complication from the procedure, which may have been partially caused by her weakened immune system. She was then moved to a hospital in Miami, where she stayed for nine days.
“I finally feel recovered, but it took a couple months,” said the artist. “It was horrifying.”
Reflecting on the fertility procedure that led to the health scare, Kesha said: “I just was taking my reproductive health into my own hands. And I stand by everyone doing that and [honouring] your body.”
Kesha rose to fame over a decade ago with her best-selling albums Animal (2010) and Rainbow (2017). Her most recent record, Gag Order, was released in May.
Speaking about her decision to keep her CVID diagnosis private until now, she stated: “I just never wanted to be the whiny, privileged girl. Also, my image had been that of going out and having fun.”
“I learned after my diagnosis that sleep is the most important thing,” she added. “I took that for granted for, God, about 29, 30 years. I feel like I’m just playing catch-up on my teens and twenties, still. But I try to get as much sleep as possible, and I have to protect that fiercely.”
In a five-star review of Gag Order for The Independent, Helen Brown wrote: “If Gag Order is anything to go by, Kesha’s career is far from over. I’d say she’s only just getting started on a thrilling second act.”
