In the final days of his Forget Tomorrow world tour, Justin Timberlake has revealed that he was diagnosed with Lyme disease while on the road.

“Well, as these two incredible years come to an end and I look forward to the future, I wanted to write something from the heart,” he said in a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday.

“It’s not an easy task to try to contextualize the whirlwind of touring–– but, I will try…,” he continued.

“I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease—— which I don’t say so you feel bad for me–– but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes.”

The 44-year-old singer described the disease, which is passed on to humans through the bite of infected ticks and can lead to severe pain and fatigue, as “relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.”

His post was accompanied by a series of photographs from his 24-month stint around the globe, which began in April 2024 and took him everywhere from Buenos Aires to Istanbul.

He said the initial diagnosis came as a surprise but that it provided an explanation for unusual physical struggles he had experienced while on stage.

“When I first got the diagnosis, I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness,” Timberlake explained, adding that at one point he was unsure if he could continue with the tour.

“I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going,” the Rock Your Body singer wrote.

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Timberlake, who is married to actor Jessica Biel, 43, with whom he shares two sons, Silas, 10, and Phineas, 4, revealed he was unsure whether it was right to publicly disclose his diagnosis.

“I was reluctant to talk about this because I was always raised to keep something like this to yourself. But I am trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted,” he wrote.

In February, he was forced to cancel a show hours before it was supposed to start due to health reasons.

“You guys, I’m heartbroken, have to cancel the show tonight,” he wrote on Instagram.

Timeberlake concluded his post by thanking his tour crew for being his “beautiful family away from home,” before offering support to others with Lyme disease and extending well wishes to his fans.

“Your signs, messages, and DIY t-shirts have made me laugh and smile so many times. And, hearing and watching you all sing these songs, word for word, at the top of your lungs, will forever leave me in awe. You have made my dreams come true,” he wrote, finishing with a nod to his wife and kids.

“To Jess, Silas, and Phin… nothing is more powerful than your unconditional love. You are my heart and my home. I’m on my way…”

Timberlake played his last show of the tour in Paris on July 20.

Timberlake is not the only high-profile person to be diagnosed with Lyme disease. In 2020, singer Justin Bieber revealed he had contracted the illness.

Fellow Canadians Shania Twain and Avril Lavigne were also diagnosed with Lyme disease.

According to the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, infections are on the rise in Canada. Because not all cases are diagnosed and reported, the actual numbers are likely much higher.

The earlier one receives treatment for Lyme disease, the better — but because symptoms vary from person to person it can be difficult to diagnose. Early symptoms of Lyme disease may be similar to the flu or a cold. You may also have a “bullseye”-type rash, though that doesn’t appear in all diagnosed people. Be sure to contact your physician should you experience any Lyme disease symptoms.

The symptoms are myriad, but some include: intense fatigue, double or blurry vision, fuzzy hearing, diarrhea, unexplained shaking or tremors and memory loss.

Chilean authorities announced Tuesday that six valuable watches stolen from Canadian actor Keanu Reeves were handed over to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), months after recovering them in a police raid.

The FBI will arrange for the watches’ return to Reeves, including an engraved Rolex worth at least US$9,500. The 60-year-old actor’s six watches are valued at a total of US$125,000, according to Marcelo Varas, a police officer from Chile’s robbery investigation squad.

Chilean prosecutors told reporters that Reeves had identified the watches as those stolen from his Los Angeles home during a string of high-profile burglaries in December 2023.

The announcement was made as Trump’s secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, arrived in the South American country for meetings with Chilean officials about transnational crime, among other issues.

According to authorities, the watches stolen from the John Wick actor’s Hollywood Hills home nearly two years ago turned up in Santiago, Chile’s capital, when police raided homes and uncovered stolen cars, iPhones, luxury watches and designer purses.

That operation coincided with another Chilean investigation, coordinated with the FBI, into a spate of burglaries by South America-based crime groups targeting multi-million-dollar homes in the U.S., many belonging to celebrities and professional athletes, such as Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.

In February, seven Chilean nationals were charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property over burglaries in which they stole valuables worth over US$2 million, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Middle District Florida.

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According to the complaint, the individuals were members of a South American theft group that burglarized the homes of professional athletes around the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the individuals targeted high-profile athletes in the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA), when they were away or playing in professional games at the times of the burglaries.

Varas said authorities were still investigating any link between the theft of Reeves’ watches and the other high-profile burglaries.

In April, police in Chile announced the arrest of 23 citizens over the string of break-ins in the United States. The raid, codenamed “Operation Pennsylvania,” took place across dozens of homes in Santiago and led to the seizure of US$1.36 million worth of goods, according to police.

“This phenomenon of international thieves has regretfully existed in our country for many years, but it’s unfortunately been on the rise recently,” prosecutor Eduardo Baeza said during a press conference in April.

Johnny Fica, head of the Investigative Police of Chile’s (PDI) money and asset laundering division, said many of the detainees had no criminal records in Chile but were career criminals abroad that laundered assets in Chile.

Fica said the investigation began last year and was carried out with information from the FBI. They showed images from the raid which featured drawers filled with shoes, designer purses, luxury watches and more.

“What you see is part of a life of luxury they had here in Chile. A lot of them liked to show off,” Fica said, adding that many of the groups were family or close-knit units.

“Their goal was clear, they wanted to enjoy the profits of their crimes in this country and they didn’t skimp on spending because they felt like they had, until now, impunity,” Fica added.

— With files from The Associated Press and Reuters

Brooke, 37, took to social media on Tuesday to share an emotional tribute to her father, writing, “My dad’s blood runs through my veins. His eyes shine through my children. And our bond had never broken, not even in his final moments.”

“We had a connection deeper than words, one that spanned lifetimes. I am so grateful I knew the real version of him. Not just the one the world viewed through a carefully curated lens. We shared a quiet, sacred bond, one that could be seen and felt by anyone who witnessed us together.”

The Hogan Knows Best star said when her father died “it felt like part of my spirit left with him.”

“I felt it before the news even reached us. He used to remind me, ‘All of this is temporary and I’ll always find my way back to you.’ I truly believe that we will find each other in every lifetime,” she wrote.

The former reality star said she knows her father is “at peace now, out of pain, and in a place as beautiful as he imagined.”

“He used to speak about this moment with such wonder and hope. Like meeting God was the greatest championship he’d ever have.”

Brooke reflected on memories with her father, like “watching him build my Barbie dream houses, our jet ski rides, laughing til we cried when no one else got the joke,” and she shared that he gave her “a love and respect for the ocean.”

“His hugs were my home. Wrapping my arms around his big frame always made me feel like his little girl, even as I grew up. I’ll never forget his scent,” she said.

She referenced her daughter, Molly Gene, named after her father, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea.

“I swear when I hold my sweet Molly Gene, named after him, she smells just like him sometimes. I feel his presence in my children. He lives through me, and through them.”

Brooke also addressed the “narrative” she said the “media has been convoluting” around her and her famous father.

“We never had a ‘big fight.’ My father and I never ‘fought.’ It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear, know or understand. My father was confiding in me about issues weighing on his heart, both personal and business … I offered to be a life raft in whatever capacity he needed,” she wrote.

She said that she begged her father “to rest, to take care of himself.”

“He had nothing else to prove to the world or anyone. My husband and I moved down to Florida to be near him. He was getting older. I wanted to be there as much as possible,” she continued. “We had been through almost 25 surgeries together, and then all of a sudden he didn’t want me at surgeries … everything started getting covered in a thick veil. It was like there was a force field around him that I couldn’t get through.”

Brooke said that she felt “a disconnect,” and what followed were “respectful disagreements that took an emotional toll on me.”

“During the last two years, I had to step away to protect my heart. My husband stayed open, quietly reaching out to my dad without me knowing, trying to find a safe way back in for me. After my father passed, I read those messages, some answered, some ignored … but all of them broke my heart.”

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She said that in the end, she knew she did everything she could and believes her father knew she would “run through a burning building for him.”

“He knows how deeply, how hard and how purely I loved him. I am at peace knowing this. All I ever truly wanted from my father was love, honesty, and a deep connection. And for a few special years, I had that — with memories that will last a lifetime.”

Brooke said that her world is now “forever changed” but she is “deeply blessed with a loving husband and two beautiful children who remind me every day of life’s greatest gifts.”

“I’m deeply grateful for the love, tributes, and memorials from his fans and friends. His life was one worth celebrating — and always will be,” she concluded.

After sharing her statement, Brooke posted a video of photos of her and her father.

“My Dearest Daddy, You were my everything, and I will always be your girl. I am PROUD to be your daughter — for all the love, light, and goodness you brought into this world. Thank you for choosing me in this lifetime, and for loving me so deeply,” she wrote in the caption.

“Our bond is eternal. That truth brings me comfort and hope, even in your absence. I love you more than all the stars in the sky, 4LifeAfterLife,” she added, ending the post with, “Forever yours, Brooke.”

Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital less than 90 minutes after medics in Clearwater arrived at his home to answer a morning call about a cardiac arrest on July 24, police said.

“There were no signs of foul play or suspicious activity,” Major Nate Burnside told reporters.

Hogan was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre the Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.

Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, Hogan Knows Best.

— With files from The Associated Press