Missy Elliott Discusses Battle With Graves’ Disease

Missy Elliot performs live in London in 2010. The singer said in a recent interview that she has been suffering from Graves' disease. (Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

Singer Missy Elliott has revealed that she is fighting Graves’ Disease, though she insists that its not as bad as it sounds.

Missy Elliott, who will turn 40 this July 1st, is also producer, songwriter and clothing line designer. After bursting into the R&B scene in the 1990s, she went on to sell seven million copies of her albums, with six of those albums having been certified as platinum, and the album “Under Construction” being a double platinum.

In an interview this month with People magazine, Missy Elliott explained her disappearance from the public view for a few months, saying that she was suffering from Graves’ disease. Graves’ disease is a disease that affects the body’s autoimmune system. It makes the thyroid gland more active, causing it to produce more hormones and causes a number of neuropsychological and physical symptoms.

There is currently no known cure for Graves’ disease.

Missy Elliot said in the interview with People magazine that the disease had made simple tasks difficult for her. “I couldn’t even use a pen,” the singer said in the interview.

But shortly after the interview became public, the singer insisted that it had not made a big impact on her life. In a written statement to the press, she wrote, “I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease about three years ago, but it really hasn’t slowed me down at all.”

Missy Elliott' last major album was “The Cookbook,” which was released six years ago in 2005. She is scheduled to release her next album “Block Party” this year after a long hiatus.