Amy Schumer is opening up about being recently diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome amid social media scrutiny over her appearance.
The “Life & Beth” actor and comedian addressed her condition in an interview with journalist Jessica Yellin published last week, noting: “It has been a crazy couple weeks for me and my family.”
“While I was doing press on camera for my Hulu show, I was also in MRI machines four hours at a time, having my veins shut down from the amount of blood drawn and thinking I may not be around to see my son grow up,” she said in last Friday’s edition of Yellin’s “News Not Noise” newsletter. “So finding out I have the kind of Cushing that will just work itself out and I’m healthy was the greatest news imaginable.”
Schumer went on to note that “having the internet chime in” on her appearance was part of the reason she “realized something was wrong.”
Cushing’s syndrome, which is sometimes called hypercortisolism, is a condition caused by high levels of the hormone cortisol. Symptoms include various types of weight gain, high blood pressure and fatigue.
The barrage of criticism over Schumer’s appearance began shortly after she appeared on the Feb. 13 episode of “The Tonight Show” to promote Hulu’s “Life & Beth,” which co-stars Michael Cera. At the time, some on social media accused her of undergoing plastic surgery or other cosmetic interventions.
Two days after her “Tonight Show” interview, Schumer responded to the discourse with a lengthy note on Instagram, noting that her “puffier than normal” face was the result of a previously disclosed endometriosis diagnosis as well as “some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now.”
After noting that “a woman doesn’t need any excuse for her physical appearance and owes no explanation,” Schumer said she hoped to continue to “advocate for self love and acceptance of the skin you’re in.”
She reiterated that point in her chat with Yellin, noting: “This is a good example of the fact that we never know what is going on with someone.”
“Everyone is struggling with something,” she added. “Maybe we can all be a little kinder to each other and ourselves.”