Marking the first time since announcing his Lyme Disease diagnosis, Justin Timberlake returned to the stage alongside a list of other performers for a special tribute to Pharrell Williams at the Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective.
Amid his performance, the superstar singer/songwriter addressed the audience, saying:
“Anybody who’s come in contact with or been in the same frequency with Pharrell Williams is changed forever.” “He came into my life at a time when I was entering my own, and funny enough, he made me feel like I belonged. Your creativity is unparalleled, your energy is infectious. You changed my life. And I will forever be grateful.”
After completing his Forget Tomorrow tour in July of 2025, Timberlake stepped away from live performance, confirming that doctors had diagnosed him with Lyme Disease.
“I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, which I don’t say so you feel bad for me, but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes,” wrote Justin in a statement shared to Instagram at the time, adding that the bacterial infection spread by ticks, “can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically”.
Stating that the “joy” his work brings him “far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling,” the 45-year old musician ultimately decided to keep performing,
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Author: Saul Goode
Photo: Drew de F Fawkes