Victoria Justice: Star Opens Up About Her Serious Medical Condition

Victoria Justice is bravely sharing her story, and it’s one we never expected. The actress just revealed in a new interview that has been diagnosed with a serious thyroid disease, and she’s been privately dealing with it for years.

The 22-year-old is best known for her roles on Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 and Victorious. Victoria also has a singing career but her busy schedule has been made harder in recent years by a secret health struggle.

“A few years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, which is a thyroid autoimmune disorder,” she told Health magazine. “All my life I’ve always had great skin, so it was really devastating. Also, at first, I was losing a lot of weight, then I went on tour and I started gaining weight, and it was the most I’d ever gained in my life. I was, like, 115 pounds. Then when I filmed a movie last summer, I actually went under 100 pounds.”

The disease can lead to an underactive thyroid gland and affect the metabolism, which would explain the weight gain Victoria experienced.

The changes in her physical appearance were distressing for the star but thankfully she had her loved ones to turn to for comfort and advice especially when it came to her skin.

“(It) definitely did affect my confidence, and it made me a little bit more self-conscious,” she added about her breakouts. “But at the end of the day, I had the support of my family and friends. I knew that the people around me had my back. Now I really empathise with people who have issues with their skin, because it can get you down.”

While Victoria’s skin and weight have returned to their former conditions the star still has to keep an eye on the disorder. However the entertainer insisted she is “back to normal” and fully focused on her work.

Agencies/Canadajournal