Comedian and actress Amy Schumer has opened up about online criticism over her ‘moon face’ and how it led to a little-known health diagnosis
Amy Schumer has revealed that online trolls played a crucial role in her decision to seek help for one medical problem. The 43-year-old comedian was met a wave of online criticism last year as commenters poked fun at her swollen ‘moon face’ appearance.
While Amy was quick to brush this off at first, she later also noticed comments from medical experts warning that her face wasn’t just ‘crazy’, but something was ‘really up’. Now, looking back on her experience, Amy confessed that she ‘wouldn’t have known’ about her health issue if the ‘internet hadn’t come for [her] so hard’.
Speaking on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy yesterday, she said: “The internet really came for me after doing a bunch of press. And I was like, ‘ok everybody relax’, but then like doctors were chiming in [within] the comments.
“And they were like, ‘no, no we think something’s really up, like your face looks so crazy’… I’m like wait, I’m getting trolled by doctors?”
Last February, Amy was diagnosed with Cushing’s Syndrome – an uncommon condition triggered by too much cortisol in the body. Increase fat build-up across the chest, stomach and face are among its common symptoms, in addition to mood swings, purple stretch marks, and frequent bruising.
Although Amy’s symptoms were a product of taking steroid medicines for her scars, Cushing’s can also result from non-cancerous tumours in the brain’s pituitary gland or adrenal glands above the kidneys.
Amy continued: “I was like f*** off and then I was like wait, I have been getting steroid injections for my scars… I had a breast reduction, a C-section, whatever… So, I was getting these steroid injections and so, it gave me this thing called Cushing’s syndrome — which I wouldn’t have known if the internet hadn’t come for me so hard.
“So, right before I started filming Kinda Pregnant, which you guys have to check out on Netflix, right before we started rolling, was when I learned I had this condition, and that I had something called ‘moon face’, and I’m starring in a movie — and there’s a camera right in my face.
“…I asked some of the people close to me and everyone’s like, ‘you look great’, but then you have like your one friend from high school that’s like, ‘your face is looking, like, a little bit insane’.”
Without treatment, Cushing’s syndrome can give rise to numerous potentially life-threatening complications including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, muscle mass loss and osteoporosis, according to Mayo Clinic.
Advice from the NHS also adds: “See a GP if you have symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome, especially if you’re taking steroids. Do not stop taking your medicine without getting medical advice.
“Lots of things can cause similar symptoms to Cushing’s syndrome, so it’s a good idea to get checked to find out what the problem is.”
NHS full list of potential Cushing’s syndrome red flags:
- Large purple stretch marks
- Increased body fat on chest, stomach and face, but slim arms and legs
- Reduced sex drive and fertility issues
- Swollen, puffy face
- Build-up of fat on neck and shoulders, known as a ‘buffalo hump’
- Easily bruised skin
- High blood pressure
- Weakness in arms and thighs
- Mood swings and depression
