Pop Icon Cyndi Lauper Battles Secret Illness: The Painful Truth Behind Her ‘True Colors

There’s something magical about Cyndi Lauper, the lively artist behind the 1983 hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” a song that quickly became a global anthem, encouraging women everywhere to embrace fun and freedom.

Lauper is the definition of cool. Her quirky, carefree personality, playful fashion, and colorful hair inspire people with her message to always be yourself.

However, behind the playful voice that spreads joy to her listeners, Lauper battles a severe skin condition called psoriasis. At one point, it was so intense that, as she described, “It looked like someone threw boiling water on me.”

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The legendary pop star, now 69, recently opened up about her ongoing battle with psoriasis—a chronic skin condition that has no cure—since she was first diagnosed in 2010.

Psoriasis can cause severe pain, itching, discomfort, and rough, scaly patches on the skin. About 8 million people in the U.S. and 125 million globally live with this condition.

Lauper’s symptoms started as scalp irritation and general discomfort, which worsened over time.

Initially, she thought her itchy scalp was from frequently coloring her hair, but the symptoms continued, causing both physical pain and emotional strain for the award-winning musician.

The “Time after Time” singer is a busy mother, touring pop star, and activist.

Inspired by her sister Ellen, who is a lesbian, Lauper has become a strong supporter of LGBT rights, working tirelessly to advocate for the community.

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Her 2005 song “Above the Clouds” was written in honor of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay student who was beaten to death in Wyoming. Lauper also started the “True Colors” concert tour in 2007-2008, which raises support for local and private LGBT charities and organizations.

Besides her advocacy, Lauper has an impressive career as a singer, songwriter, and actor. Over the past forty years, she has received many awards, including a Tony Award, two Grammy Awards, an MTV Music Video Award, and an Emmy Award for her role in a 1995 episode of the TV show *Mad About You*.

She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2013, her humanitarian work earned her a special invitation to attend President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.

Despite her diagnosis, Lauper continues to stay strong. She is committed to not letting psoriasis hold her back and works on managing stress to avoid triggering flare-ups.

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When she was first diagnosed and dealing with severe psoriasis, Lauper wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical *Kinky Boots*, which won her a Tony Award for Best Original Score. She became the first woman to win a Tony in that category on her own. The show also won five more Tony Awards, including Best New Musical.

In a conversation with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), Lauper openly shared her experience living with the autoimmune skin condition, hoping her story might help others.

“I’ve never been able to really manage stress,” she admitted, explaining that she now takes a holistic approach to healing and stress relief both at home and on the road. She learned reiki, a Japanese technique for relaxation, saying, “That helps me.”

Along with reiki, Lauper works to stay grounded by meditating, practicing yoga, or taking walks in the fresh air with her dog and her husband, David Thornton, whom she married in 1991. The couple has one son, born in 1997.

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“It’s not a bad thing to take care of yourself,” Lauper said, urging people to always “make a little time for you.”

She encourages starting small. “How about five minutes for you?” she added.

Lauper speaks with resilience about her experience, explaining that “when psoriasis gets really bad, it’s really hard to get up again.” She shared that at times, she couldn’t regulate her body temperature, leading to chills that could result in hypothermia. Even when resting, her condition only worsened, and hearing people dismiss it as “just a rash” added to her struggles.

“You don’t have to suffer,” Lauper said. Treatments, such as topical and oral medication or injections, can help ease the often unbearable symptoms of psoriasis. For Lauper, she found relief with Novartis’ Cosentyx, and as a spokesperson for the medication, she happily shares that she’s been “four years clear.”

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In 2017, Lauper spoke with HealthDay about managing her psoriasis.

“It’s funny—you start wearing gloves, or this and that, hoping [psoriasis] is invisible, but it’s not. I didn’t show it off, like, ‘Woo-hoo, check this out!’ Doesn’t everyone try to hide it? You’d be surprised how many people have it and don’t talk about it. It’s one of those invisible things, so it’s good to talk about it.”

She shares more about it on her podcast *PsO in the Know*, where she talks with celebrities, advocates, and everyday people who offer insights on living with psoriasis.

The show is now in its third season and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, and Stitcher.

Lauper isn’t the only celebrity with psoriasis. Kim Kardashian, now 42, was diagnosed at 30 and is open about her challenges. Her mom, Kris Jenner, 67, had her first outbreak in her late 20s and said it was “life-changing.” Other celebrities with psoriasis include musician Art Garfunkel, 81, actor Jon Lovitz, 65, and Jerry Mathers, 74, known as “The Beaver.”

My Husband Left Me and Our Kids for His Mistress — I Took Revenge after Visiting My MIL

Hannah is startled and heartbroken after she finds shocking photos of her husband, Charles, with his young coworker, Madison. With her world falling apart, Hannah doesn’t know what to do, but a visit to her mother-in-law’s gives her a secret weapon. Can Hannah use this new evidence to get the revenge she deserves?

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Sitting in my living room, I stared at my phone, my hands trembling.

It all started a week ago when my friend Sarah mentioned she had seen Charles with a young woman at a café. I brushed it off, thinking it was a misunderstanding.

But something gnawed at me, and I decided to ask Sarah to keep an eye out.

Now, Sarah’s message popped up with several pictures attached. I opened them, and there they were — Charles and Madison, his 20-year-old coworker, entering a hotel together.

They were laughing and holding hands, the intimacy between them unmistakable.

He shook his head. “No, Hannah. It’s over.”

I realized our life together, the family we built, meant nothing to him.

After Charles left, my life turned upside down.

I moved into a small apartment with the kids, barely scraping by. The settlement I received was meager, barely enough to cover our basic needs. I had hoped to keep things stable for the children, but every month was a struggle to pay rent.

One evening, after putting the kids to bed, I sat down with my laptop to look for ways to make ends meet. My job as a part-time receptionist wasn’t enough, and I started searching for freelance work, anything that could help us get by.

“How could he do this?” I muttered to myself, feeling the sting of injustice.

Charles had lied about the house’s value during the divorce proceedings. He’d manipulated the system to leave me with almost nothing. The unfairness of it all consumed me.

How was I supposed to provide for our children when he had taken everything?

“We did it, Hannah. He’s finally getting what he deserves,” Margaret said, hugging me tightly.

I smiled, tears of gratitude in my eyes. “Thank you, Margaret. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

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