Missy Elliott opens up about incurable condition that led to severe weight loss

Missy Elliott is preparing for her first headlining tour, the Out of This World Tour. Despite her excitement about the tour, she has been opening up about her battles. The “Get Ur Freak On” hitmaker said she has been struggling with Graves’ disease for the past 16 years.

Seeming upbeat about hitting the road, she touched on how she was diagnosed with the disease in 2008 and how it affected her life and career, according to People. The Virginia native noted that she is “blessed to be here” expressing gratitude for her resilience through the Graves’ disease. She credited the medication for helping her feel well.

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that impacts the function of the thyroid gland, according to Yale Medicine. About 1% of people in the United States have Graves’ disease and its symptoms fatigue, hair and weight loss, irregular heartbeat, and anxiety. There is no cure for Graves’ disease but treatments are available to help manage the condition.

Missy Elliott shared insights into her morning routine while managing the condition and how it has inspired new ideas for her upcoming Out of This World Tour.

“Every day I wake, I’m blessed to be here and in good health,” she stated. “I’m feeling so much better now. That was a run. Every now and then you get a little ache in the leg or the knee, but outside of that, I feel good.”

“Listen, every morning my regimen is I get up, wash my face, brush my teeth, and walk,” she added. “I say my prayers as I’m walking, and then all of these ideas start coming to mind. I’ll call everybody like, ‘I want to swing from this,’ and they’re like, ‘Do you know how much that costs?”

Missy Elliott’s upcoming 2024 Out of This World Tour will be her first tour since 2004 when she joined Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Tamia for the Verizon Ladies First Tour. Her last album, The Cookbook, was released in 2005. Missy Elliott’s hiatus from touring was largely due to her battle with Graves’ disease.

Now ready to return, she announced her new tour in April, revealing she will be joined by Ciara and Busta Rhymes. Missy Elliott shared the news with a sci-fi-inspired trailer on Instagram, saying “This is an incredible time in my life as I am experiencing so many milestone ‘firsts.’ Being the FIRST female Hip Hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and now going out on my FIRST headline tour.”

“Fans have been asking me to tour forever, but I wanted to wait until I felt the time was right because I knew if I was ever going to do it, I had to do it big, and I had to do it with family! So get ready to be taken OUT OF THIS WORLD with me,” she added. “Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland! We can’t wait to share this experience with the fans!”