Star Wars star Daisy Ridley diagnosed with Graves' disease
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British actress Daisy Ridley attends the World Premiere of Disney's Young Woman And The Sea in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on May 16.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – British actress Daisy Ridley was diagnosed in 2023 with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid, she revealed in a recent interview.
The 32-year-old, who shot to fame with her starring role in the latest Star Wars trilogy (2015 to 2019), has previously discussed struggles with endometriosis and polycystic ovaries.
But after filming the thriller Magpie (2024) in 2023, Ridley felt exceptionally fatigued and irritable, she told the magazine Women’s Health in an article published on Aug 6.
She said she initially dismissed her symptoms, which also included weight loss and hand tremors, to the role’s intensity.
“I thought, ‘Well, I’ve just played a really stressful role; presumably that’s why I feel poorly’,” she said.
But discussing the symptoms with her doctor ultimately led to her being diagnosed with Graves’ disease.
Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, and is more likely to affect women than men, according to the European Thyroid Association.
Other celebrities to have suffered from it include rapper Missy Elliott and former United States first lady Barbara Bush.
“We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed and sort of coming to terms with saying, ‘I really, actually don’t feel good,’” said Ridley.
Already a vegan, Ridley said she has switched to minimising gluten intake since her diagnosis, among other lifestyle changes.
The last Star Wars trilogy ended in 2019 with Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker.
Since then, Disney has promised three new feature films about the science-fiction universe created by George Lucas, one of which is to star Ridley again as her character Rey. AFP
