While scouring the internet, I’ve noticed that there seems to be some interest in knowing what celebrities have Celiac Disease. So, as always, I ended up deciding to do some research on the topic!
Based upon the research I’ve done, I haven’t been able to locate any A-list or B-list celebrities which suffer from Celiac Disease, but there are some C-list and D-list celebrities, as well as a number of celebrities who use the gluten-free diet as a way to control their weight.
First, the celebrities that have been confirmed to have Celiac Disease:
- Keith Olbermann (“Countdown with Keith Olbermann”)
- Elizabeth Hasselback (“The View”)
- Heidi Collins (CNN anchor)
- Jane Swift (Mass. Lieutenant Governor)
- Katherine, Duchess of Kent
- Susie Essman (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”)
- Rich Gannon’s (NFL Quarterback) daughter, Danielle
- Joe C (Kid Rock’s Friend and Rapper) – Now Deceased
- Mickey Redmon (former pro hockey player, does hockey commentary for Fox Sports Detroit)
- Sarah Vowell
- Jennifer Esposito
- Thom Hartmann (Air America Radio)
- Amy Yoder Begley (Competed in Beijing Olympics as a runner)
- Cedric Benson (NFL running back for the Cincinnati Bengals – formerly Chicago Bears, Texas Longhorns)
- Joe Stanton (Cartoonist who draws Batman, Green Lantern, Archie & Scooby-Do)
- Steve from WGN Radio
Celebrities Who Have Been Tied to the Gluten-Free Diet (some for dietary reasons)
- Drew Brees (NFL Quarterback – Gluten Intolerant but does not have celiac disease)
- Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice)
- Sarah Vowell (Comedian, Spokesperson, voice of Violet from the movie Incredibles)
- Terence Stamp (actor in Star Wars Episode 1)
- Lady Antonia Frasier (noted author of historical novels)
- Amanda Donohoe (actress LA Law)
- Dannii Minogue (pop star/actress/model )
- Dr. Phil’s wife (Robin)
- Goldie Hawn (actress)
- Juliette Lewis (actress)
I will attempt to keep this post updated as I come across new people to add to the list. Know of any celebrities we are missing? Let us know in the comments below!
I tried 5 Guys fries a few weeks ago, and loved them! I must admit, when my daughter has ...
Yes, most baking powder is gluten-free. I use Clabber Girl, which says "gluten-free" right on the can.
Kim 
Thank you for a wealth of info. I am questioning celiac disease/ waiting to see a doc. I do not ...
good list, helps a lot 
Heidi Collins CNN anchor and spoksperson for NFCA has celiac
@ Judy – Great catch! Can’t believe I forgot to add Heidi to the list. I have updated the post to include her.
Sarah Vowell does have celiac disease. I talked to her about it after a book signing.
I recently heard that Jennifer Esposito has Celiac disease.
Thom Hartmann, of Air America Radio, is also a celiac.
Thanks Linda! I have updated our post
Elisabeth Hasselbeck is self-diagnosed. Not sure if you’re drawing a distinction or not.
@natasia – And? What difference does that make? She gets violently ill if she ingests gluten. Like her or not, she’s one of us. Seriously, considering how abysmally unreliable the current state of diagnostic testing is, I don’t understand why celiacs are such snobs about their disease. How is that helpful??
@ Stephanie – It’s not snobbery. There is a difference between Celiac Disease, a hereditary auto-immune disease, and gluten intolerance. Although both require a gluten-free diet, the disease has much broader and more serious implications for your general health and for your family, who should also be tested. That is one reason it is dangerous to self-diagnose.
It is funny Stephanie. We are all in this together. I am also self-diagnosed. I was running from doctor-to-doctor for the last 3 years. I have been tested for celiac – negative (and that is only after I demanded it 6 months ago). I heard Hasselbeck on Sean Hannity and decided to go gluten free. After only 12 days of being gluten free I have noticed a huge reduction of my “brain fog” and other neurological symptoms – sometimes I feel worse. Old symptoms come back but then go away, but the clarity of mind is sooooo nice! Hasselbeck may or may not be a book thief, but if it was not for her speaking out on the topic I would not have even tried going gluten-free, because listening to her experiences mirrored mine in so many ways. I decided to buy her book, read it, and try it. I really hope for me that this is the final answer
Also – for you government solution lovers – please understand that a government-run healthcare system will probably not address the pharmaceutical companies dangerous influence on doctors. In fact – the FDA is attacking Cheerios for promising a 10% reduction in cholesterol by eating cheerios. The FDA has been trying to shut-down naturopathic and allopathic practices that might help someone discover a gluten-free or dietary approach to a health problem. Only alternative types of doctors (not all of them) have suggested a gluten-free approach to me – though stubborn me – refused to try it because I feared losing my pizza more.
I see both sides to this problem because I have been exhaustively trying to heal myself with very little help from traditional or western doctors.
I am so grateful for my right to seek out alternative types of health care. I don’t want to see that right taken away from me or other people out there that have no idea what is happening to them. But consider this: when government pays the bill, they make and enforce the rules whether they are good for us or not. The pharmaceutical companies influence our government just as much as doctors they want to sell their drugs. If the pharmaceutical companies had their way – trust me, your choices in healthcare would greatly diminish.
It’s just food for thought. Discuss if you like. Most importantly think for yourselves! Attack me if you want, but remember that makes you no different then the Gluten attacking YOU!
All, my celiac tests came back negative, but I get severe stomach aches if I eat wheat. I have had food allergies all my life related to wheat and milk, so I have voluntarily removed both from my diet. The blood test is well known to produce false negatives, so it’s best to go with how you feel. I personally am very happy that people are either getting diagnosed, or voluntarily not eating wheat – makes my shopping much easier.
Dale I hope you get to try an Udi’s Gluten Free prebaked pizza crust soon! I just tried them and they are amazing! You can order them directly from http://www.UdisFood.com or request that your local grocer carry them. Udi’s is a Colorado company and just now shipping their delicious products to other states.
I was diagnosed 17 years ago with Celiac Disease. I joined the Denver CSA support group and then co-founded the Northern Colorado CSA Chapter 16 years ago. The chapter now has almost 400 members!
Over the years I tried breads and pizza crusts from the store but thought they were terrible. I couldn’t believe people actually expected us to eat them. For most of the last 17 years I have don’t without bread.
About 8 months ago, my neighborhood King Soopers began carrying some really nice looking Cinnamon Rolls from Udi’s Bakery in the freezer case. I tried them and thought they were great. I eagerly tried the Blueberry Muffins. WOW!!!!! I quickly began eating one or two a day. I was just like a little kid. I cry now to remember how life changing it was to not have to bake (which I haven’t done for years)and still get an amazing product.
After 4 months of eating the Cinnamon Rolls and Blueberry Muffins every day I braved it and tried the bread. I have eaten so many disgusting slices of bread I was very hesitant. I think most Celiacs can relate.
I hesitantly bought a loaf of White Bread and a loaf of Whole Grain bread. I tried the White bread first. I toasted it and made a turkey sandwich. While toasting it in the broiler, it smelled like regular bread, but I didn’t want to invest myself emotionally, so I didn’t raise my expectations. I didn’t trust that it would be good so I didn’t put too much on the toast, fearing that it would fall apart. I’m getting so emotional just remembering my next reaction.
I took a bite of my sandwich and the bread was AMAZING! It had that wonderful quality of pressing together than releasing when I bit through it. The flavor was just like I remembered white bread to be. The great smell was indicative of the incredible taste. I was overcome with emotion eating my sandwich because I knew my life just got easier and more fulfilling!
Since that day three months ago, I have tried everything I can think of to test the properties of the breads. I have found that they are delicious right out of the bag at room temperature. They are so soft and moist they the bread can be folded in half around a quickly assembled sandwich when I’m driving (did I say that out load – of course I don’t eat while driving). The white bread is amazing on a peanut butter and jelly. The Whole Grain is great for my more adult sandwiches. And the pizza crust, which I’ve only had twice, is fabulous! Just like the real stuff! All of it has changed my life in such positive ways.
Two months ago I contacted Udi’s and said I’d like to help them get the word out about their Gluten Free product line. The timing was perfect. I am now the Gluten Free Product Ambassador for Udi’s Handcrafted Foods!
Our message is one of empowerment for the consumer. We no longer need to settle for poor quality baked goods. We can firmly ask that great products, like Udi’s, be carried at our grocery stores (like Kroger’s King Soopers) and specialty stores (like Whole Foods and Vitamin Cottage) and mom and pop shops nationwide (like Granny’s Gluten Free Zone in Loveland, CO). We can ask restaurants to create safe and delicious products (Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano and P.F. Chang’s have!) and give us a nice menu to order from (like that at The Camp Robber in Montrose, CO) not just a soiled copy of ingredients in various dishes.
Let me know if you can find the Udi’s Pizza Crust Dale. You will be delighted to try it!
GlutenFreeDee
Gluten Free Product Ambassador
Udi’s Handcrafted Foods
http://www.UdisFood.com
Sarah Joy Brown – actress on General Hospital has confirmed Celiac Disease
I am posting here some links from an email that mention a lot of celebs who were either celiacs or suspected of being so. Some of this is out of date, but I thought it might be of interest to you:
Evidently there is some research that show that Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish fairy tale writer, was a celiac.
http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/fremmedsprog/English/article.jhtml?articleID=267603
Summary list of famous folks who might be / might have been celiac, wheat-allergic, gluten-intolerant, or just speculatively somehow “one of us”: Sorry, in some cases, folks didn’t know their names, just a description, so I tried to fill in the blanks by googling. If you know better, please correct me. In some cases, I have an interesting link, some info I can’t confirm, some (especially quite a few who appear to be Brits) I don’t even know who they are, so if you do, please enlighten us all. In some cases the links confirm some “allergy” info, in others, they merely identify who the person is.
Your comments (with my editorials, or links, if I found them)
(1) I think Carol Channing might be Celiac – you know she carries her food everywhere – even to the White House.
(2) I have been told by other celiacs that Carol Channing, famous actress onstage years ago that she is a celiac; she was used as an example to me to encourage me to dine out more with my own food in tow. The story goes that Carol Channing had such severe allergies that she had a personal chef, and he would make her something to take with her wherever she went, and she would discreetly just “whip out” her own food at restaurants and private parties and everyone just accepted it, all she said was she had severe food allergies and everyone gave a clear berth.
The actress who starred as Lois Lane with Christopher Reeve in the first superman movie. What was her name..husky voice, thin? I think this is the actress Margot Kidder, I found a link for an article she wrote about alternative medicine and bipolar disorder, in which she mentions wheat and dairy sensitivities, but no specific confirmation that she is celiac
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/aminobipolar.htm
Unrelated “bonus”: On the same web site, another article: Mental Symptoms of “Wheat Allergy” (Celiac Disease) by Sheryl Tingley: http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/wheat.htm
The youngest girl on “The View” (Elisabeth Hasselbeck) who just had a baby has celiac because she’s mentioned it a few times. Here’s a link that confirms it: http://www.celiacchicks.com/2005/03/as_seen_on_tv.html (looks like this might be a fun celiac resource, too! Check out the bakery, restaurant, and recipe pictures and wipe that drool off your chin…)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (had Addison’s disease, suspected celiac also; I wonder if other Kennedys might have celiac?)
I think I’ve heard Abe Lincoln was also celiac, or suspect.
Edna St. Vincent Millay! A biography of her called “Savage Beauty” by Nancy Milford is said to be a really great read.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375760814/ref%3Ddp%5Freturn%5F1/103/002-0647416-8915256
Rich Gannon’s (NFL football player) daughter Danielle
http://www.celiaccenter.org/GannonPSA.html
Joe C (Joseph Calleja) (who hung out with Kid Rock?) passed away from celiac at age 26
http://www.penny.ca/JoeC.htm
Jane Swift was lieutenant governor in Massachusetts, and became the first female MA governor in 2001 (replaced by Mitt Romney in 2002) – a little extra info from before she was elected Lieutenant Governor:
Celiac Disease in the News: Two political opponents share appetites, gluten-free that is. Jane M. Swift (Republican) and
Warren E. Tolman (Democrat) were candidates for lieutenant governor. Though divided by party affiliations, they are united on the food front as both are celiacs. Tolman was diagnosed 5 years ago when he was 33 years old. He is 6′4″ tall. His picture should be distributed to any health professional who is only looking for people with short stature. Swift was diagnosed during her late 20’s and discussed strategies for eating on the campaign trail. http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/sn/spnk9812.html
There is a book by Lance Armstrong’s (7-time winner of the Tour de France bicycle race and cancer survivor) mother, No Mountain High Enough. On page 15 she indicates she had celiac as a child. She’s not a celebrity, but I thought it was interesting. I hope she knows that it’s not a just a childhood issue if it’s truly celiac.
Author and comedienne Sarah Vowell (often on NPR radio, she did a funny take on “wheat allergy” and Living Without magazine on NPR, and also was Violet in the Incredibles)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1102970/bio
TV Psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw’s wife, Robyn?
Actor Billy Bob Thornton has said he is “allergic to wheat”
Actor Goldie Hawn?
TV personality Regis Philbin?
Actor Terence Stamp, Star Wars Episode I?
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000654/
Actor Juliette Lewis?
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000496/
Keith Olbermann, MSNBC newsman (did a fund raiser for the Celiac Sprue Association mentioned in the following link:)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7828534/
Lady Antonia Frasier, noted author of historical novels
Actor Amanda Donohoe (LA Law)
Mickey Redmon, former pro hockey player, who broadcasts hockey commentary for Fox Sports in Detroit has CD.
Dannii Minogue has gluten intolerance, gluten free, dairy free, lots of “food allergies,” so maybe celiac disease. She is a pop star/actress/model and Kylie Minogue’s younger sister.
Katherine, Duchess of Kent
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/3503318.stm
Sir Richard Doll, cancer epidemiologist, who first established the link between smoking and cancer in 1950, is a celiac:
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/archive/7082n1.htm
Victoria ‘Posh Spice’ Beckham, married to David Beckham, soccer star for Real Madrid
http://in.news.yahoo.com/041008/139/2h6mq.html
Gaby Roslin, BBC broadcaster
http://www.healthspan.co.uk/articles/Sept04_gaby.aspx
Peter Benenson, Founder of Amnesty International and also of a society for people with coeliac disease:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/amnesty/history/biography.shtml
The late Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Warlock
phil collins has coeliac
Do you know if Andy Roddick is gf?
I get upset because I, too, am one of the many who got false negatives on the blood tests – twice. Enterolab testing, however, revealed that I have plenty of autoimmune antibodies to both gluten and casein. The blood tests only turn up positive when the intestine is so severely damaged that substances like gluten peptides end up in the bloodstream. I read a recent study where they looked at a group of newly diagnosed Celiacs, and every one had Stage III or IV damage. Clearly, the accepted diagnostic criteria are wrong if no one is getting diagnosed before end-stage damage. This is why I don’t understand the snobbery.
I only got diagnosed early because I educated myself, and was willing and able to pay for the testing myself. If I hadn’t, I’d be marginalized by the CD community as not a “real” celiac.
I know, I know, Celiacs want to distance themselves from nuts who vaguely avoid gluten because it’s “healthier” and have no idea what it is. But as far as I’m concerned, If someone’s health noticeably improves on a strict GF diet, it’s not only uncharitable but ignorant to assume it’s simply a placebo effect. With 95% of celiacs undiagnosed, maybe, just maybe, they were actually an undiagnosed celiac to start with … (and of course, that % is a lot higher, if you consider that the current diagnostic criteria are way too narrow.)
It would be more helpful for us to advocate on behalf of the whole gluten-ill community, rather than make Celiac a clique.
My daughter was diagnosed with Celiac’s recently. It was diganosed only after a blood test, a stool test, an endoscopy and a tissue biopsy. All things came back postive but it wasn’t official until all tests were done. A simple blood test cannot definitivly diagnose Celiac’s.
Hi I read recently that Angelina Jolie has her twins on gluten free diets as they are apparently alergic to everything. I was diagnosed with celiac at 6 months old so 38 years. I would love to know if any one else suffers the same symptoms, i recently had a sneaky moment and ate something i shouldn’t have, i was waiting for the standard bloating and feeling unwell. I didn’t get any of that instead i seemed to have an alter personality change where i was a complete nasty bitch and although I wanted to be nice i just could’nt , as well as feeling very emotional It did eventually pass , and I think that this is a symptom that I have always had whenever I have ingested gluten, but not really been aware. I was not a nice person and found my mood extremley hard to control. Does this happen to any one else or is it just me.
Joe C is deceased.
Hi Jennifer,
I updated the list to clarify. Thanks for your contribution!!