As pop superstar Justin Timberlake publicly revealed his struggles with Lyme disease on July 31, 2025, the friends and family supporting him included Hallmark star Nikki DeLoach, a close friend since they met as kids on “The Mickey Mouse Club.”
The day before his announcement, Timberlake, 44, wrapped up his Forget Tomorrow tour in Turkey, per Page Six, amid months of concern from fans about canceled concerts and “lackluster” performances.
He took to social media on July 31 to address the health challenges he’s been facing, writing, “After seeing several doctors, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. It’s been a tough road, but I’m staying positive and taking the necessary steps to get better.”
DeLoach replied to Timberlake’s lengthy Instagram post by writing, “So proud of you always. Love you so much. ❤️”
Nikki DeLoach Has Said She & Justin Timberlake Have ‘Always Been There’ For Each Other
Lyme disease is typically contracted from the bite of a tick carrying the borrelia bacteria, according to Mayo Clinic. Early symptoms can mimic the flu, with symptoms including headaches, extreme tiredness, joint stiffness, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. As the disease progresses, per Mayo Clinic, it can cause more severe symptoms including neck pain, stiffness, irregular heartbeats, and pain in the back, hips and legs.
Noting that the symptoms of Lyme disease have sometimes been “debilitating” for him, Timberlake wrote in his post, “It’s been an emotional and physical rollercoaster, but I’m grateful for my family, friends, and supporters who’ve been by my side.”
In 2022, DeLoach described Timberlake as “chosen family” to the Hollywood Reporter, explaining that they “instantly became best buddies, like brother and sister,” at the casting camp for “The Mickey Mouse Club,” adding that “we have been brother and sister ever since.”
“His mother has been like a second mother to me,” DeLoach continued, adding that Timberlake has “always been there any time I’ve needed him and I’ve always been there when he needed me.”
In March 2024, DeLoach took her 10-year-old son Hudson to Timberlake’s concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, celebrating the release of his latest album, and wrote in her Instagram Stories that it was the “first time Hudson saw Uncle Justin do his thing.”
In another Instagram Story about the concert, the “Curious Caterer” star wrote, “So proud of you @justintimberlake. Huge congrats on such a special night. Cannot wait for everyone to hear this album. It’s everything we thought it was…and much more (see what I did there ?)”
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Nearly a year after DeLoach took her son to see “Uncle Justin” perform, Timberlake had to cancel his last show of his U.S. tour in Columbus, Ohio. Sidelined by what he said was the flu, Timberlake told fans via social media that he was “heartbroken” to end his tour with a whimper and that refunds would be provided to all ticketholders.
But it wasn’t the first cancellation of the tour. EntertainmentNOW was present for what became Timberlake’s final show — held in St. Paul, Minnesota, on February 25 — when the pop star addressed the U.S. leg of his tour coming to a close. The concert was a rescheduled show from October, when he had to cancel due to having bronchitis and laryngitis, per the Star Tribune.
In his July 31 post, Timberlake shared that he had been frustrated by ongoing health challenges, writing that he couldn’t understand “why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness. I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out. I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”
“I was reluctant to talk about this because I was always raised to keep something like this to yourself,” Timberlake shared. “But I am trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted. Sharing all of this with the hope that we can all find a way to be more connected. I’d like to do my part to help others experiencing this disease too.”
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Hallmark’s Nikki DeLoach Supports Justin Timberlake Amid Lyme Disease Diagnosis