In August 2025, as Camilla Luddington stepped onto a new set and prepared for another demanding season of Grey’s Anatomy, she did so not just as an actress, but as a woman newly diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. After years of unexplained exhaustion, “brain fog,” and inflammation, she finally had a medical name for what was going on inside her body: Hashimoto’s disease.
And for someone who plays a doctor on screen, admitting vulnerability off-screen felt deeply human — and timely.
N E E D T O K N O W
Camilla Luddington announced in 2025 she was diagnosed earlier this year with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune thyroid disorder, after months of unexplained fatigue, brain fog, and inflammation.
She describes the diagnosis as a “relief” — finally having medical validation for what she suspected all along.
Since starting levothyroxine and lifestyle adjustments (gluten avoidance, anti-inflammatory focus), she reports improved energy, reduction in swelling, and a return to workouts like Barry’s Bootcamp.
Luddington has openly spoken about postpartum anxiety, PMDD, and mental health therapy, connecting her personal and onscreen narratives.
She co-hosts the podcast Call It What It Is (with Jessica Capshaw), where she has shared health updates and normalizes vulnerability.
As of 2025, she balances raising two children with filming Grey’s Anatomy, navigating the differential demands of health, career, and motherhood.
Viewers can expect an intense Season 22 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy, which Luddington describes as emotionally taxing.
Before 2025 – The Hidden Struggles
Even before her diagnosis, Luddington experienced signs of distress. In interviews, she has spoken openly about postpartum anxiety after the birth of her children, particularly after her son in 2020.
“I had postpartum anxiety … I had so much anxiety. Working with a therapist helped me have tools.”
She also disclosed in mental health and wellness conversations that she has PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and has taken antidepressants in recent years.
In NewBeauty, she reflected how her fictional character Jo Wilson’s therapy journey mirrored her own impulse to seek help.
Yet, she often chalked her symptoms — tiredness, sluggishness, puffiness — up to motherhood, aging, or perimenopause.
Early to Mid 2025 – The Diagnosis
In summer 2025, after months of fatigue and swelling, she undertook bloodwork and labs. That’s when she heard the term she had not anticipated: autoimmune disease.
“You’ve known that I joke about being slothy … slower, tired, wanna be in bed … It never occurred to me that there could be a medical reason for that.”
“And I remember hearing the words ‘autoimmune disease’ … and being told that I had something called Hashimoto's hypothyroidism.”
She told People she got the diagnosis at the beginning of summer, and that she’s still early on in the journey.
The diagnosis brought a bittersweet relief — validation that she was not imagining symptoms, even if the road ahead is long.
Summer–Fall 2025 – Treatment & Adjustments
Immediately after diagnosis, she began levothyroxine, a standard thyroid replacement therapy, and committed to tracking lab values every six weeks. She also embraced lifestyle changes:
-
Reducing inflammation via diet (notably gluten avoidance).
-
Returning to exercise, specifically noting she is back to Barry’s Bootcamp and weight routines she had long left behind.
-
Observing that symptoms like swelling, fatigue, and brain fog have lessened.
While she called her journey “fresh,” she acknowledged that it’s not a quick fix.
Hashimoto’s disease (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis) is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, often leading to hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels). It’s one of the more common autoimmune diseases, particularly among women.
Symptoms often include:
-
Fatigue, sluggishness
-
Weight gain
-
Cold intolerance
-
Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
-
Joint pain, dry skin
-
Mood changes or depression
Because its onset can be gradual, many patients with Hashimoto’s go undiagnosed for years, attributing symptoms to stress, aging, or other causes.
For Camilla, the diagnosis comes at a time she is already navigating motherhood, a demanding acting schedule, and the public eye. Her decision to share aims to reduce stigma and help others who may feel unseen in their own health struggles.
Her sharing aligns with a growing movement among celebrities to expose invisible illnesses, reminding us that fatigue, inflammation, or mood shifts are not always cosmetic or “just stress.”
Motherhood & Marriage
Camilla is married to actor Matthew Alan, and together they have two children: daughter Hayden (born 2017) and son Lucas (born 2020).
She has often spoken about how being a mom intersects with her career:
“She’s evolved in the same way that I’ve evolved … that year Jo got therapy … I was also like ‘Maybe I should start therapy.’”
In 2025, she candidly discussed in Parents magazine how some days she might be better at “mothering” and other days better at filming, acknowledging that perfection in both is unrealistic.
She and Matthew sometimes give the kids space from each other to reduce conflict and value family time.
Mental Health & Vulnerability
Her openness in revealing struggles with postpartum anxiety, PMDD, and therapy has helped normalize mental health in motherhood.
“I had postpartum anxiety … I didn’t know it was a thing … working with a therapist helped me have tools.”
She also has spoken about health anxiety:
“I have health anxiety … part of me was like, ‘Am I gaslighting myself?’”
Her marriage and parenting life provide both motivation and challenge in her wellness journey.
Camilla Luddington is best known for her long-running role as Dr. Jo Wilson on Grey’s Anatomy, which she joined in 2012.
Over the years she has balanced the demands of a hit medical drama with motherhood and her off-screen identity.
In 2025, she teased the upcoming Season 22 premiere of Grey’s Anatomy — saying it is “even crazier” than the previous finale and emotionally heavy for her character.
She admitted she felt anxious returning to set, needing to “take a deep breath.”
Her health journey may influence her performance, but she remains committed to the role. Her public wellness transparency also enmeshes with her persona as an actress who honors vulnerability both onscreen and off.
- Hashimoto’s diagnosis: Luddington publicly revealed in August 2025 via her podcast Call It What It Is that she has Hashimoto’s disease.
-
She described how she was often feeling sluggish (“slothy”) and exhausted, attributing it to age or motherhood — until labs gave clarity.
-
She spoke about how getting a diagnosis felt like “relief,” in part because it validated her internal experience.
-
After starting levothyroxine and making lifestyle changes, she reports reduction in inflammation, improved energy, and return to workout routines.
-
She says she will monitor her thyroid every six weeks and is committed to treating and learning through the journey.
-
In other recent coverage, she noted that Grey’s Anatomy Season 22 will challenge her character, Jo, in complicated ways — especially following the explosive Season 21 finale and possible danger to her husband Link.
-
In a September 2025 Parents magazine interview, she acknowledged that balancing motherhood and career is not perfect — and sometimes one role must take precedence that day.
Camilla Luddington’s journey is a vivid reminder that even those who play doctors on-screen are humans behind the scrubs — vulnerable to fatigue, body shifts, and the confusion of unexplained symptoms. Her decision in 2025 to step into the light with a Hashimoto’s diagnosis underscores a deeper truth: knowing what’s wrong is often the first step toward healing.
Her story also bridges the intersections we seldom see: acting, motherhood, invisible illness, and mental wellness. That she continues to show up — in auditions, on Grey’s Anatomy sets, in parenting, and on her podcast — is both courageous and real.
For every woman navigating undiagnosed fatigue, unexplained swelling, or persistent brain fog: know this — you are not alone. Camilla’s willingness to speak openly — from “slothy” mornings to medical labs and therapy appointments — resonates because those struggles are common, not weak.
As she said, “I felt like I had the answer for something I’ve been knowing is going on.” May her voice help others find their own truths, push for testing, insist on referrals, and embrace the messy, ongoing journey to wellness with patience, self-compassion, and a deep willingness to keep showing up.
(This article is based on interviews and reporting from ABC News, Business Insider, PEOPLE, Entertainment Weekly, and other sources up through 2025.)
🔗 More Celebrity Stories You’ll Love
- Zara Larsson Opens Up About Anxiety, Body Image, and PMDD: Inside Her Health and Well-Being Journey
- Selena Gomez Full Journey: Family, Health, Lifestyle, Career, Net Worth & More
- Halsey Shares Emotional Health Update — “I’m Lucky to Be Alive” Amid Chronic Illness Battles
- Ariana Grande’s Health Journey: Fitness, Skincare, and Beauty Secrets Revealed
- Lindsay Lohan Opens Up on PTSD, Motherhood & Wellness: Inside Her Health Journey
- Mandy Moore Reveals Uterine Fibroid Struggles: Maternal Health, Surgery Fears & Her Journey to Motherhood
- Lupita Nyong’o Opens Up on Uterine Fibroids: A Decade-Long Health Battle and Advocacy for Women
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers About Camilla Luddington
1. When was Camilla Luddington diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, and what prompted it?
Answer:
Camilla revealed she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism in early to mid-2025, after months of feeling unusually fatigued and “slothy.”
She initially assumed her symptoms were due to perimenopause, motherhood, or just stress, but decided to do bloodwork and discovered abnormal thyroid function. On her Call It What It Is podcast, she said:
“About two-and-a-half months ago … I had blood work … everything looks great except this one little thing … I remember hearing the words ‘autoimmune disease’ … then being told I had something called Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism.”
2. How has Camilla Luddington’s health changed since the diagnosis? Are there improvements?
Answer:
Yes — she reports feeling less inflammation, more energy, and a noticeable reduction in puffiness that she experienced before.
She has started levothyroxine (thyroid hormone replacement) and is having follow-ups every six weeks to monitor levels and adjust treatment.
She also noted that daily symptoms like “brain fog” and constant tiredness are now more manageable with medical treatment.
3. What symptoms did Camilla have that led to the diagnosis?
Answer:
Camilla described experiences of persistent exhaustion, mental fog, puffiness, and sluggishness — symptoms she had joked about as being “slothy.”
She said she would hit a point “by 11 a.m.” where she felt like she needed a nap regardless of how much sleep she got.
Other classic Hashimoto’s-related symptoms she mentioned: cold sensitivity, hair thinning, dry skin, and difficulty pushing through fatigue.
4. Was she surprised by the diagnosis / how did she react?
Answer:
Yes — she admitted being “a little freaked out” at first when her doctor said “autoimmune disease.”
But she also said she felt a sense of relief — validating that something was wrong and giving her a pathway to treatment.
She also wrestled with health anxiety — wondering if she had been gaslighting herself before getting confirmation.
5. Will Camilla Luddington take medication and follow ongoing treatment?
Answer:
Yes. She has started levothyroxine and plans to follow up with lab work every six weeks to monitor how her thyroid levels respond and adjust dosage as needed.
She is approaching her healing as a long process rather than a quick fix.
6. How is she balancing her health with motherhood and career?
Answer:
Camilla is candid about the tension of juggling filming Grey’s Anatomy with caring for her two young children. She said there are days when she is “better at work than being a mom,” depending on the demands of each day.
In a Parents magazine interview, she acknowledged that perfect balance is impossible — she focuses on doing her best in whichever role needs more of her that day.
She also describes herself as a “Type B mom,” embracing flexibility, spontaneity, and forgiveness in how she parents under health constraints.
7. Did Camilla Luddington address any non-health topics recently (e.g. personal interests, viral moments)?
Answer:
Yes — she recently joked in a media interview that she hopes to be invited to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding, calling herself a “major Swiftie.”
She posted a viral TikTok-style video of herself waiting by her mailbox with champagne and a party horn, captioned “THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” referencing Swift’s engagement announcement.
