Lewis Capaldi revealed Monday on Instagram Live that he was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. The nervous system disorder causes involuntary movements and sounds, according to CNN. “It’s a new thing, I haven’t really learned much about it — I’m learning,” Capaldi said.
The 25-year-old Scottish singer said he’s always had the neurological disorder but he didn’t know it until he was officially diagnosed, according to People. He said he ultimately decided to speak about it because he “didn’t want people to think I was taking cocaine or something.”
Capaldi added he’s been getting botulinum injections to stop his shoulder from twitching and that eagle-eyed observers have commented on his movements “underneath every TikTok and stuff.” Capaldi said he recently watched an interview of his from 2018 and noticed it himself.
“The worst thing about it is when I’m excited I get it when I’m stressed I get it when I’m happy I get it,” Capaldi said on Instagram. “It happens all the time. Some days it’s more painful than others and some days it’s less painful. It looks a lot worse than it is… but it comes and goes.”
The Mayo Clinic ultimately defines Tourette syndrome as a disorder “that involves repetitive movements or unwanted sounds (tics) that can’t be easily controlled” and noted that the latter typically reveal themselves in patients between the ages of 2 and 15.
“Tourette’s affects one in 100 school-aged children, however, the public perception is that it affects only a minority,” Emma McNally, Tourettes Action CEO, told The Guardian. “Lewis Capaldi speaking out about his diagnosis will hopefully encourage others who are in the public eye to do the same.”
In 2018, Billie Eilish announced in an Instagram Story that she had Tourette syndrome. She opened up about living with the disorder on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” in 2019 and David Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” in 2022.
Capaldi, meanwhile, shared his diagnosis mere days after two sold-out performances at London’s O2 Arena.
“The more people who talk about Tourette syndrome, the more people who share their stories, the better,” McNally told The Guardian. “Being diagnosed can be daunting. Newly diagnosed children need to see successful adults sharing and talking about their diagnosis, it will give them hope for the future.”