Celebrities with Endometriosis Quiz

Answer: Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham was featured in the 2013 "Time" magazine's edition of "100 List of the Most Influential People in the World." She was noted for her accomplishment of becoming an actress, writer, director, producer, and women's group speaker, at age 26.

Dunham surprised many with her Hollywood success because she did not attend a formal film school to rise to fame as a screenwriter. While she was attending Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, Dunham began submitting short films on Youtube and submitted films through film festivals. Her breakthrough came when her film "Tiny Furniture" won "Best Narrative Feature" at South by Southwest Music and Media Conference. It caught the attention of HBO who offered her a contract.

Dunham's HBO series "Girls" first appeared in 2012. It depicted the life of four young women living in New York City and drew aspects from Dunham's own life. It ran for six seasons with Dunham serving as an actress, writer, and producer. Dunham won two golden globes for her roles in the series.

Although Lena had a promising screen career, Lena Dunham struggled with endometriosis for many years. The disease affected her ability to perform because of the side effects. Endometriosis is caused by tissue from the uterus growing outside the womb, forming lesions and causing bleeding around other organs in the body; it can cause severe pain, nausea, bleeding, migraines, dizziness, and weakness.

Dunham's shared in an article in "Vogue", that pain management was hindering her career; the surgeries and pain meds were not working. She also had reached a point where the number of surgeries had damaged her chance of having children. Dunham finally made the controversial decision to have a hysterectomy at a young age.

At the time Dunham made her decision for a hysterectomy, "Vogue" magazine shared the statistics from 2018 stating, "As startling as it may seem for a woman in her early thirties, Dunham's story is no anomaly: About 600,000 women undergo the gynecological surgery to remove their uterus each year. And while it is difficult to know exactly how many of those cases are due to endometriosis, a 2011 study found the number of women with endometriosis in the U.S. could well exceed previous estimates of 5 million. Worldwide, one in 10 women suffers from endometriosis, which is one of the leading causes of female infertility."

Answer: Padma Lakshmi

Padma Lakshmi is food writer, actress, and model.

Padma Lakshmi was born in India. Her parents divorced when she was two years old. She was raised by her mother, who was an oncology nurse. Lakshmi immigrated to the United States with her family when she was four years old. She was raised in New York City before her family moved to La Puente, California.

At age 21, Lakshmi was discovered by a modeling agent while studying abroad in Madrid. She paid off her college by working as a model for brands that included Emanuel Ungaro, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Ralph Lauren, and Alberta Ferretti.

Padma Lakshmi has hosted "Top Chef" since 2006. She received the Primetime Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Reality Host" in 2009 and 2020.

Lakshmi was not taken seriously by her doctors when she complained of heavy bleeding, cramps, nausea, backaches, and digestive issues, because of her career. She tried adjusting her diet and finding alternative ways to cope with pain. The symptoms heavily interfered with her work and made her bedridden at least one week out of every month.

It took doctors 23 years to properly find the cause of her health issues. When doctors did Lakshmi's laparoscopic surgery in 2006 they found widespread endometrial tissue on her major abdominal organs, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. They performed 19 biopsies and 17 came back for endometriosis.

To prevent other women from suffering the same pain and give them support, Lakshmi founded the group "Endometriosis Foundation of America" in 2009.

Lakshmi's endometriosis treatments were successful and she gave birth to a daughter in 2010. She has offered support to other celebrities that have come forward with their diagnosis and encouraged others to seek treatment for the disease.

Answer: Saira Khan

Khan was born in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. Her parents were immigrants from Kashmir, Pakistan. She had a difficult childhood in an abusive home.

Her television career began in 2005 as a contestant on the business reality show, "The Apprentice". She finished runner up and began to host a variety of documentaries on BBC. She appeared on business shows that included "Trade Your Way to the USA", "Beat the Boss", and "The Martin Lewis Money Show".

From 2015 to 2020, she was a regular panelist on the show "Loose Women", a British talk show that featured celebrities, current affairs, politics, and life issues. She left the show in January 2021 to focus on her own business and her family.

While Saira Khan pursued a career, she also desired a family. She tried for four years to conceive, before being diagnosed with endometriosis in 2009. She was told she had less than a five percent chance of having a child because of the scarring endometriosis had caused on her fallopian tubes.

She and her husband tried IVF and had a son the first time. Their next attempts were unsuccessful. Khan opted for adoption and traveled to the Edhi Foundation Orphanage in Karachi, Pakistan. She adopted her daughter Amara, at 4 days old. She made a documentary for BBC on her family's journey titled, "Adopting Abroad: Saira's Story".

She opened up to her fans about her endometriosis condition on Instagram on March 21, 2021. She encouraged them by saying, "Please don't give up. Infertility does not automatically mean no children. Adoption is a beautiful way to start and complete your family."

Answer: Chrissy Teigen

In her early career, Chrissy Teigen started out as a briefcase model on the "Deal or No Deal" game show and modeled for "Sports Illustrated" magazine covers. She became involved in multiple TV shows including "FABLife", "Lip Sync Battle", and "Bring the Funny".

Teigen's mother was known for her cooking talents on television food shows. In 2016, Chrissy Teigen established her own fame as a cooking celebrity. She authored "Cravings". In 2018, she wrote another book, "Hungry for More" and established her own cookware line.

Chrissy met her husband John Legend while starring in one of his music videos in 2007. She worked with him on many music projects and they married in 2013. They had a daughter named Luna in 2016, and a son named Miles in 2018.

Chrissy lost her third child pregnancy, a son that she and her husband were planning on naming Jack. She was several months along and the experience was very hard on her emotionally. Four months after she suffered the miscarriage, Chrissy Teigen reached out on social media and announced she was having surgery for endometriosis. She asked her fans for recovery tips and advice.

She expressed that she was still feeling phantom kicks and pain. She later said she was glad that she was glad the tissue was out, rather than to go through the constant pain endometriosis causes.

To honor her daughter, Chrissy Teigen's Mom dedicated her cookbook "The Pepper Thai" to Chrissy's lost baby "Jack".

Answer: Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels was one of the original trainers for "The Biggest Loser" weight-loss reality show on NBC.

Michaels used a variety of methods to help people that included kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training. She left "The Biggest Loser" in 2010 to focus on her health and becoming a mom.

After learning that her diagnosis of endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome could prevent her from having children, Jillian Michaels adopted a daughter from Haiti in 2012.

Jillian Michaels struggled with opening up about her condition because she was a fitness trainer and felt ashamed. "I thought if I talked about my limitations, people would say, 'How healthy could she be?' This was my weakness and my bad." -Jillian Michaels ("Redbook", June 2010)

Michaels tried to establish her television show "Losing It with Jillian", in which she visited people's homes and gave them personal advice. When the show ended, Jillian picked up attention as a guest trainer with other health shows such as "Dr. Phil" and "The Doctors".

Michaels shared her health journey and life tips by authoring several books on self-help, cooking, and fitness.

Answer: Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer was born in Upper East Side New York City. She was raised Jewish and dealt with antisemitism as a child. Her childhood was affected by her father's health chronic health issues, the family business going bankrupt, and her parents' divorce. In the middle of her family's crises, Schumer found comfort in things that made people laugh or smile. Amy Schumer recorded many of her life experiences in her New York Times Best Seller, "The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo".

Schumer started doing stand-up comedy at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City in 2004. Her television career began when she became a finalist contestant on "Last Comic Standing" in 2007.

Schumer was recognized as a screenplay writer and actress for her film Trainwreck in 2015. She won nominations for "Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay" and the Golden Globe Award for "Best Actress - Motion Picture Comedy or Musical".

Amy Schumer has also shown her talents on theatrical stages. Schumer won the Tony Award for "Best Actress in a Play" for her Broadway performance in Steve Martin's "Meteor Shower" in 2017.

Amy Schumer's health drew attention when she unexpectedly had to have surgery that removed her uterus, appendix, and thirty endometriosis spots in 2021. Amy Schumer told her fans on Instagram that her main symptoms before her extensive surgery were stomach pain and painful periods.

Answer: Olivia Culpo

Olivia Culpo was raised in Cranston, Rhode Island. Her parents owned a restaurant business around Boston.

Her modeling career started with winning the Miss Rhode Island competition in 2012. She went on to win the 2012 Miss USA competition and 2012 Miss Universe competition.

In 2014, She launched out and began guest starring small roles in movies starting with "The Other Woman". Her first major role was with the 2018 action thriller film, "Reprisal", starring as Jacob's wife.

Culpo was able to balance her pain with endometriosis and modeling. However her activities with the acting were limited. Culpo described her experience as stabbing pain that would make her want to crawl up into a ball and cry.

Culpo described her journey as pure agony when she went public with her diagnosis of endometriosis in 2020. She was surprised when many women and celebrities reached out to her who suffered with the same condition. According to John Hopkins Medicine in 2020, "Endometriosis affects an estimated 2 to 10 percent of American women between the ages of 25 and 40."

Answer: Daisy Ridley

Daisy Ridley is a British actress who began her career with minor roles on television shows that included "Toast of London" and "Silent Witness".

Her first major movie role came when she starred in the 2017 movie, "Murder on the Orient Express", as Mary.

The "Star Wars Awakens" movie trilogy was Daisy Ridley's breakout to success. At the 2016 MTV Awards, she won "Best Breakthrough Performance". She was nominated for "Best Female Performance", "Best Hero", and "Best Fight".

Ridley was diagnosed with endometriosis when she was 15 years old. Her early symptoms included heavy bleeding, skin problems, back pain, and abdominal pain. In the early years, she tried antibiotics and alternative products but felt no relief. She had surgery to try to relieve the pain and diagnose issues. After eight years, doctors discovered she also suffered from polycystic ovary syndrome, which can sometimes pair with the endometriosis condition.

Answer: Kirsten Storms

Storms wanted to be a soap opera actress from an early age. She expressed to her parents at the age of five she wanted acting lessons and was discovered by talent scouts at an acting camp. Her first acting roles were for baby doll commercials. As a child, she appeared on the drama series "The Second Noah", and Disney's "Sing Me A Story With Belle".

In her adult career, Kirsten Storms has starred on the Disney Channel's "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century", "Days of Our Lives" and "General Hospital".

In 2011, endometriosis hindered her acting career by causing her to cancel multiple appearances on "General Hospital" to deal with her health. The soap opera star eventually took a year off to have treatment.

She gave birth to a baby girl in 2014.

Answer: Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg started her stage career in 1983 with her one-woman show, "Spook Show". Broadway picked up the show and changed the title to "Whoopi Goldberg", running the show from 1984 to 1985.

Goldberg has won numerous awards for her work as a television host, Broadway actor, writer, musician, and speaker. She is the first African American Woman to achieve all four entertainment awards; an Emmy Award (Television), a Grammy Award (Music), an Academy Award (Oscars), and a Tony Award (Broadway).

Goldberg uses her celebrity status to bring attention to issues, promote education, and fundraise for causes. She has served many years as a television host for ABC's show "The View", which hosts celebrities and leaders from around the world to discuss current events around the world.

Whoopi Goldberg promotes health and cancer awareness because her endometriosis was found during the early stages. Her doctor was able to prevent the disease from escalating to more severe stages by treating it early. Whoopi has dealt with endometriosis for over thirty years. She has encouraged women to seek treatment early when they notice beginning signs to prevent the more drastic effects of the disease from occurring.

Whoopi became an active speaker for women's groups to promote endometriosis awareness. She became involved in trying to find alternative treatments for the painful condition and created "Whoopi & Maya", a line of cannabis products designed to relieve pain.