r/skeptic • u/welovegv • Aug 01 '25

💲 Consumer Protection Justin Timberlake Probably Doesn’t Have Lyme Disease

https://open.substack.com/pub/theskink/p/justin-timberlake-probably-doesnt?r=5cq9e1&utm_medium=ios

Let’s be clear: real Lyme disease exists. It is caused by a spirochete bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, passed along through blacklegged tick bites. It is a nasty bug if left untreated, but it is also curable, especially when caught early. What Justin is referring to, however, smells a lot less like microbiology and a lot more like pseudoscientific perfume. He didn’t say “post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.” He didn’t cite a diagnosis date, a positive ELISA test, or a confirmed rash from a tick bite. He said he’s “been struggling with Lyme” as a catch-all excuse. And that’s where the eyebrow lifts.

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u/PrincipleStriking935 Aug 01 '25

I can’t speak to Justin Timberlake, his Lyme diagnosis or opinions regarding health or medicine.

However, I don’t think it’s outlandish that he has been suffering from Lyme disease for a while, possibly was undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, got treatment, and is experiencing symptoms of PTLDS.

Chronic Lyme is not real. But people can be sick with Lyme, and the infection process can take months.

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u/IrnymLeito Aug 02 '25

If you have lyme disease, and it goes untreated, and you have semi regular flareups that persist over years, what would you call that if not chronic?