Who
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Style
  • Health
  • Beauty
  • My Kitchen Rules
  • The Travel List
  • Podcast
  • Video
Who
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Style
  • Health
  • Beauty
  • My Kitchen Rules
  • The Travel List
  • Podcast
  • Video
Subscribe
Meghan Markle takes drugs and gets raunchy in unaired TV show
Watch 1:50

Meghan Markle takes drugs and gets raunchy in unaired TV show

{headline}

{headline}

Are the people on Married At First Sight actors?

Are the people on Married At First Sight actors?

MKR'S LYN VS KAROLINA: What really happened with the 'TRANS' debacle 

MKR'S LYN VS KAROLINA: What really happened with the 'TRANS' debacle 

The REAL reason Married At First Sight star Elizabeth Sobinoff was a no show on Episode 13

The REAL reason Married At First Sight star Elizabeth Sobinoff was a no show on Episode 13

Married At First Sight Ines plays Bronson in a bid to stay and warm up to Sam

Married At First Sight Ines plays Bronson in a bid to stay and warm up to Sam

{headline}

{headline}

Married At First Sight Lauren Huntriss and Matthew Bennett leave the show

Married At First Sight Lauren Huntriss and Matthew Bennett leave the show

Which Married At First Sight couples are still together?

Which Married At First Sight couples are still together?

Survivor Australia couple Ele and Lee have confirmed their break-up

Survivor Australia couple Ele and Lee have confirmed their break-up

{headline}

{headline}

MAFS Experts Say We've Got Ines All Wrong

MAFS Experts Say We've Got Ines All Wrong

The Adorable Nicknames MAFS' Jules and Cam Call Each Other

The Adorable Nicknames MAFS' Jules and Cam Call Each Other

MAFS Elizabeth spills on the physical fight between Martha and Cyrell

MAFS Elizabeth spills on the physical fight between Martha and Cyrell

(Sponsor)

'The Umbrella Academy' is on Netflix today

'The Umbrella Academy' is on Netflix today

Why did Lorena Bobbitt chop off her husband's penis?

Why did Lorena Bobbitt chop off her husband's penis?

Happy Birthday to an Australian institution

Happy Birthday to an Australian institution

  1. Home
  2. Entertainment

Alec Baldwin opens up about suffering from Lyme Disease

The actor feared for his life. - by Susan Young
  • 23 May 2017
Alec Baldwin opens up about suffering from Lyme Disease Getty Images

Alec Baldwin went from singing “Hallelujah” on the season finale of Saturday Night Live to jetting to balmy California to talk for the first time since a 2011 casual comment to the New York Times about having Lyme disease.

“They had me hiding in the bushes over there at a Lyme disease benefit,” Baldwin said as he went on the stage for the Bay Area Lyme Foundation (http://www.bayarealyme.org) LymeAid benefit for research at a private home in the woodsy enclave of Portola Valley, Ca outside Palo Alto on Sunday. “I have ticks all over me. I’m joking.”

Baldwin has been reluctant to talk about the disease, and Bay Area Lyme Foundation Executive Director Linda Giampa said that she has been trying for years to get him to come to their event. He finally agreed to do it last year, but then the appearance was almost derailed by Baldwin’s decision to do the SNL finale.

“We had already sold out the event for 350 people on that night when I was told. I asked if he would do it the next night and he graciously agreed,” Giampa said. “I think he just felt the time was right to talk about it.”

Baldwin said that he believed he had chronic Lyme disease even before he was diagnosed with it. He was bitten about 17 years ago, and got a shot. Then he was bitten again a few years later.

“I got the classic Lyme disease (symptoms) for each successive summer, for five years, every August, like this black lung, flu-like symptoms, sweating to death in my bed,” Baldwin said. “The first round (was the worst), and then it diminished, at least that’s how I perceived it.”

“The first time was the worst of all,” he recalled. “And I really thought this is it, I’m not going to live. I was alone, I wasn’t married at the time, I was divorced from my first wife. I was lying in bed saying, ‘I’m going to die of Lyme disease,’ in my bed and ‘I hope someone finds me and I’m not here for too long.’ ”

My oldest, my youngest...

Baldwin went on to say that now he and his wife Hilaria constantly check their children for signs of tick bites.

“I want my kids to grow up riding horses and bikes and enjoying themselves every day and not have to spend every day with us going over them with a magnifying glass to make sure they don’t have any ticks on their body or their dogs, but that is part of the lifestyle of where I live,” he said.

He then lightened things up with his impersonation of President Trump and a joke about New York being a Red State. After an audience groan, he shot back, “I have Lyme disease. A little sympathy here.”

The benefit dinner and concert raised more than $800,000 of which 100% will go directly to fund research for Lyme disease.

This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.

BIG SUMMER SALE – NOW ON

Just $6 for 6 issues

SAVE 81% Subscribe Now
BIG SUMMER SALE – NOW ON

Recommended to you

Meghan Markle takes drugs and gets raunchy in unaired TV show
Watch 1:50

Meghan Markle takes drugs and gets raunchy in unaired TV show

{headline}

{headline}

Are the people on Married At First Sight actors?

Are the people on Married At First Sight actors?

MKR'S LYN VS KAROLINA: What really happened with the 'TRANS' debacle 

MKR'S LYN VS KAROLINA: What really happened with the 'TRANS' debacle 

The REAL reason Married At First Sight star Elizabeth Sobinoff was a no show on Episode 13

The REAL reason Married At First Sight star Elizabeth Sobinoff was a no show on Episode 13

Married At First Sight Ines plays Bronson in a bid to stay and warm up to Sam

Married At First Sight Ines plays Bronson in a bid to stay and warm up to Sam

{headline}

{headline}

Married At First Sight Lauren Huntriss and Matthew Bennett leave the show

Married At First Sight Lauren Huntriss and Matthew Bennett leave the show

Which Married At First Sight couples are still together?

Which Married At First Sight couples are still together?

Survivor Australia couple Ele and Lee have confirmed their break-up

Survivor Australia couple Ele and Lee have confirmed their break-up

{headline}

{headline}

MAFS Experts Say We've Got Ines All Wrong

MAFS Experts Say We've Got Ines All Wrong

The Adorable Nicknames MAFS' Jules and Cam Call Each Other

The Adorable Nicknames MAFS' Jules and Cam Call Each Other

MAFS Elizabeth spills on the physical fight between Martha and Cyrell

MAFS Elizabeth spills on the physical fight between Martha and Cyrell

(Sponsor)

'The Umbrella Academy' is on Netflix today

'The Umbrella Academy' is on Netflix today

Why did Lorena Bobbitt chop off her husband's penis?

Why did Lorena Bobbitt chop off her husband's penis?

Happy Birthday to an Australian institution

Happy Birthday to an Australian institution

Who
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Pacific Magazines
  • Partners
  • 7Plus
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms
Who Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Pacific Magazines
  • Partners
  • 7Plus
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms

Brands

  • Beauty Crew
  • Home Beautiful
  • Instyle
  • marie claire
  • Women's Health

Pacific Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • New Idea food
  • New Idea
  • Men’s Health
  • Girlfriend
  • That’s Life
  • All Recipes
  • Practical Parenting
© 2019 Pacific Magazines
NewIdea

Access your account

Personalise the newsletters you receive and gain access to competitions and offers

By signing in, you agree to our Privacy Statement .
Login Error

Oops!
Something went wrong, we were unable to log you in using that account.
Please try again later.

Confirm your details

By continuing, you agree to our
Terms of Service and Privacy Statement .
Login Successful

Thanks!
Logging you in now.

Login Error

Oops!
Something went wrong, Please try again later.

New users register and returning users login, it's as easy as that

Login to your account by email

  • Registration
  • Login

By continuing, you agree to our
Terms of Service and Privacy Statement.

Forgot your password?
By continuing, you agree to our
Terms of Service and Privacy Statement.
Login Error

Oops!
Something went wrong, Please try again later.

Forgot your password? Enter your email address below.

By continuing, you agree to our
Terms of Service and Privacy Statement.
Login Successful

Thanks!
You should be receiving an email shortly to reset your password

Login Error

Oops!
Something went wrong, we were unable to reset your password.
Please try again later.

Create a new password

By continuing, you agree to our
Terms of Service and Privacy Statement.
Reset Successful

Thanks!
Your password has been successfully updated.

Reset Error

Oops!
Something went wrong, we were unable to reset your password.
Please try again later.