The Serious Medical Condition Seal Lives With
Seal's soulful voice is instantly recognized around the world through hits like "Crazy," "Killer" and "Kiss from a Rose." His talent has been celebrated with a myriad of accolades, including four Grammys. But other aspects of the British musician's life have also put him in the spotlight. Seal's relationship with Heidi Klum drew public attention from the get-go. That's because Klum was pregnant with someone else's baby when she started dating Seal. "People have said I was such a good person, so courageous. I honestly don't see it like that. I was the lucky one," he told the Mirror in 2008.
With Klum pregnant, she and Seal had no time for emotional games — everything was crystal clear from day one. "For the first time in my life I had total clarity in a relationship and I knew exactly what I had to do," he explained. But it wasn't Seal's good-hearted nature that first caught Klum's eye. The German supermodel first fell in love with the musician's physique. "I met him in a hotel lobby in New York City and he came in just from the gym and I was sitting there and I was, like, 'Wow,'" Klum said on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2007 (via People).
Seal and Klum divorced in 2012. But more than a decade later, he shows on Instagram he's still taking great care of his 6-foot-4 body. Despite his fitness, Seal suffers from a condition that caused one of the other traits Seal is most well-known for.
Seal's facial scars are the result of an auto-immune disease
Seal's deep voice made him famous, but his scars made his face famous. The trait has accompanied him since he burst onto the music scene in the early '90s. While they may look like they were caused by external factors, the origins of the lesions were actually inside. Seal suffers from discoid lupus erythematosus, a type of lupus that often affects the skin above the neck, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. "My lupus first arrived when I was 21," he told Yahoo. "It's not as serious as systemic [lupus], which affects the organs."
After suffering with the rashes for some years, Seal sought medical attention in his early career and promptly received treatment. "The lupus went, but it left me with scars – which I am quite proud of, actually, because they became a bit of a trademark," he wrote in a 2011 essay for The Guardian. Seal has one of three different types of lupus that affect the skin, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. While he initially struggled with his new face, Seal learned to accept it. "Something that had kind of been initially traumatizing turned out to be something that has made me instantly recognizable," he told Yahoo.
His distinctive look has also given Seal an opportunity to teach his kids a lesson or two — and have fun with it. "I always call the marks on my face my battle scars," he wrote in The Guardian essay. "I tell my children I sustained them when I was fighting to defeat evil demons."
Seal also struggles with his mental health
Seal's auto-immune disease isn't the only health struggle he has faced. Unlike lupus, his mental afflictions haven't left any physical markings, but they are just as serious. Seal has suffered from anxiety and a panic disorder since his career took off. He was recording in a studio the first time he experienced an episode. "I was rushed to the hospital and I was convinced that I was dying, having a heart attack," he told Yahoo in 2020. Living without knowing when the next episode will hit can be paralyzing. "[It's] cold, lonely and dark," he detailed.
Even though Seal doesn't frequently discuss his mental health struggles, they have come out through in his lyrics. "Padded Cell" was a clear example, as New Zealand's Stuff pointed out. "I'm fascinated by examples of inner fortitude, people whose world collapses around them but they just walk the line and display incredible strength," he told the outlet in 2015. "And that's something I tackle myself every day."
Here is where Seal's interest in maintaining his physique has come in handy. In physical activity, Seal has found a way to keep his anxiety at bay. "Mental health and exercise go hand-in-hand," he told Yahoo. Meditations have also been a helpful tool. "It's been huge for me." While panic attacks can be "destabilizing," living with the disorder has also taught Seal a lesson in compassion. "It's given me such empathy and understanding for people who can't get help," he told Yahoo.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.