Joey Graziade, the star of the current season of The Bachelor, has addressed the concerns and comments about his yellow eyes and revealed that he has Gilbert syndrome, a common and harmless liver condition.
In a video posted on his Tiktok account on Thursday, February 29, Graziade said that he was diagnosed with Gilbert syndrome when he was in high school, after being sick for a week and a half.
He recalled having his blood work done and found out that his bilirubin count was very high, which indicated a problem with his liver.
“I had bloodwork done, and the bloodwork showed that my bilirubin count was very high. That means that there could be something that was wrong with my liver, so we went and I got a liver ultrasound. … They found out that there was nothing that was necessarily wrong like hepatitis, but they diagnosed me with something called Gilbert syndrome.”
Quick Fact: Bilirubin is a yellowish substance that is produced during the body’s normal breakdown of old red blood cells. Gilbert syndrome is caused by a modified gene that affects the way the body processes bilirubin in the liver. This can result in a slight yellowish tinge—or jaundice—of the skin and the whites of the eyes.
Gilbert syndrome is not a serious or life-threatening condition, and it does not affect the quality or longevity of life. However, some people may experience mild symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, or diarrhea. Gilbert syndrome may also affect the way the body reacts to certain medications, so people with the condition should consult their doctors before taking any drugs.
Joey Graziade said that he was told that he was healthy and that Gilbert syndrome did not require any treatment.
“At the end of the day, I am told that I am healthy. It’s something that does affect the whites of my eyes. It makes it have those jaundice levels, which is why they look a little bit more yellow.”
He mentioned that the condition only affected the appearance of his eyes and that it was worse when he was stressed or lacked sleep, which happened often on the show.
He finally thanked the viewers who were looking out for him and assured them that he was fine and that he would continue to monitor his health.
“I do appreciate everyone looking out for me and wondering if I’m okay. But to my knowledge, I’m as okay as I can be and I will continue to monitor it. So thank you very much.”
