There is a growing list of gluten-free celebrities – for better or worse. Many are turning to the gluten-free diet to feel better or manage celiac disease. This post includes a list of gluten-free eaters who are famous. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Regardless of why someone eats gluten free – celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy, or other reasons – these celebrities share the gluten-free diet.
We can all agree that living with celiac disease or living a gluten-free lifestyle due to sensitivity or intolerance can be alienating. It’s nice to know you’re not alone.
Here is a list of gluten-free celebrities who surely would invite you and your special “diet” to break gluten-free bread with them.
Gluten-Free Celebrities Who Have Celiac Disease
Annaleigh Ashford – Actress Annaleigh Ashford confirms she has celiac disease in Women’s Health magazine, where she also poses nude. Ashford is best known for her role as Betty DiMello on Showtime’s Masters of Sex, and on Broadway as Lauren in Kinky Boots.
Kristen Bell – Bell told Women’s Health Magazine that she has a “genetic marker for celiac.” She decided to go gluten-free with her husband, Dax Shepard, who also suffers from an autoimmune condition.
Cedric Benson – This Cincinnati Bengals running back has celiac disease.
Drew Brees – Some sources say this New Orleans Saints QB has celiac disease, while others say gluten intolerant. Either way, he avoids gluten.
Arturo Chacón-Cruz – Chacón-Cruz is a Mexican-born Opera singer and Beyond Celiac ambassador with celiac disease. His mother and son have celiac disease too.
Heidi Collins – This CNN News anchor told Everyday Health she has celiac disease.
Ty Dellandrea – Dallas Stars’ first-round pick in June 2018 has celiac disease. Read this article to learn more about finding out he had celiac disease and how changing his diet improved his athletic performance.
Tarek El Moussa – The HGTV reality star found out he has celiac disease during a taping of his latest show, Flipping 101. Read the full article to watch a snippet showing his doctor telling him, for the first time, that he has celiac disease.
Jennifer Esposito – This actress wrote a book about celiac disease and discussed her disease in an interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Susie Essman – This comedian told the New York Times about her celiac disease diagnosis.
Shannon Ford – Ford served as a spokesperson for celiac disease during her reign as Mrs. United States. Ford’s story is featured in the book, Dear Gluten, It’s Not Me, It’s You.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck – This former The View and Fox News anchor wrote a book, The G-Free Diet, about celiac disease, a how-to guide to being gluten-free.
Frances Haugen – Depending on how you define “celebrity,” Ms. Haugen is known as the “Facebook whistleblower” and has celiac disease. You can read more about it in this article.
Jameela Jamil – The British actress/feminist and body-positive activist told her followers on Instagram that she has coeliac disease and has had it since she was a kid. Read more in Us Weekly.
Gary Johnson – This Libertarian presidential candidate in 2016 confirmed he has celiac disease.
Parker Kligerman – This NASCAR driver revealed he had celiac disease to Gluten Free & More Magazine.
Dean McDermott – This reality TV star and husband of Tori Spelling says he only kinda has celiac (maybe that’s like being kinda pregnant?)
Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery – This Fox News commentator and former MTV VJ talks about her gluten-free diet on Twitter and confirmed she has celiac disease in an interview.
Mandy Moore – This Is Us actress and former pop singer revealed her celiac disease diagnosis in an Instagram post and documented her upper endoscopy on Instagram, as reported in People.com
Keith Olbermann – This news broadcaster said in a tweet that he only “has the mildest touch of celiac” – whatever that means.
Adrianne Palicki – This actress told Men’s Health she loves receiving gluten-free presents.
Harnaaz Sandhu – After being trolled about her weight gain, 2021 crowned Miss Universe from India, Harnaaz Sandhu, confirmed to the press that she has celiac disease.
Jaden Smith – Jaden Smith is the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. According to his Wikipedia profile, Jaden has celiac disease and lactose intolerance. He also suffered from a slew of health issues related to going vegan.
Patrick Staropoli – This professional stock car driver revealed he had celiac disease in this article. Staropoli’s story is featured in the book, Dear Gluten, It’s Not Me, It’s You.
Jon Stewart’s son – The comedian and talk show host says his son has celiac disease. Read about it here.
Sharon Stone – This A-list actress told the New York Times in March 2018 that she doesn’t eat gluten because she has celiac disease.
Nichole Thomas – Wife of Tulsa’s NBA star Etan Thomas, Thomas says she has celiac disease, and she wrote this book about her family’s path to wellness.
Anna Vocino – This actress and Eat Happy cookbook author has celiac disease and has been gluten-free since 2002.
Casey Wilson’s son – Wilson told People how her four-year-old son was finally diagnosed with celiac disease in this article.
Gluten-Free Celebrities (following GF diet for reasons other than celiac disease):
Victoria Beckham (Gluten Sensitive) – This Spice Girl singer says she is gluten-free to keep trim.
Chelsea Clinton (Gluten Intolerant) – This former first daughter avoids gluten, and her wedding was gluten-free too!
Simon Cowell (Food Sensitivities) – Cowell says he removed gluten, dairy, red meat, and sugar upon his doctor’s orders. He says he regained his energy and lost 20 lbs too.
Miley Cyrus (Gluten Allergy?) – Cyrus says she is “allergic” to gluten, although you can’t technically be allergic to gluten (you can be allergic to wheat or be gluten sensitivity)
Zooey Deschanel – The New Girl actress says she is gluten intolerant and avoids soy and animal products as well.
Dana Delany (Gluten Intolerant) – Delany tells Everyday Health magazine about her gluten intolerance
Novak Djokovic (Gluten Intolerant) – This tennis star talks about how his diagnosis as gluten intolerant was a game changer.
Bethenny Frankel (Wheat allergy and leaky gut) – Frankel says her unsexy diagnosis of a wheat allergy and leaky gut is what lead her to give up gluten.
Geri Halliwell (Wheat Intolerance) – This Spice Girl says no to anything with wheat in it.
Mariel Hemingway (Gluten Sensitive) – This actress is gluten sensitive. Read her interview in Living Without magazine
Scarlett Johansson (Wheat Allergy) – Johansson talks about her wheat allergy here.
Debra Messing – Messing suffers from multiple food allergies and intolerances and avoids gluten.
Ryan Phillippe (Gluten Allergy) – The actor told Men’s Health about his gluten “allergy.”
Denise Richards (Hashimoto’s) – Richards says she went gluten-free to help her with her enlarged thyroid, which was first noticed by fans and was later diagnosed as Hashimoto’s.
Emmy Rossum – Rossum says she’s gluten free, but she does stupid things like smells bread and sticks it to her face. Not sure how serious she is about being gluten free, but she is living a [mostly] GF life.
Jessica Simpson (Wheat allergy) – The actress and singer say she is allergic to wheat.
Maria Shriver – This journalist talked about being gluten-free with Matt Lauer during a “Trending” session on Today, and then featured an article about being gluten-free for health reasons on her blog that she has since removed.
Patti Stanger (Hashimoto’s) – Stanger tells Richards that the gluten-free diet is what helped her manage her Hashimoto’s
Billy Bob Thornton (Wheat Intolerance) – This actor has an intolerance to wheat and dairy.
Josh Turner (Gluten Intolerant) – This singer tweets that he loves gluten-free cookies.
Dana Vollmer (Gluten Intolerant) – This athlete says going gluten free helped her win gold. Vollmer’s story is featured in the book, Dear Gluten, It’s Not Me, It’s You.
Know of other gluten-free celebrities?
Leave a comment if you know of any other gluten-free celebrities. Thank you!
Also read: 7 Celebrities That Make Gluten-Free Look Good
Note: I have done my best to provide an accurate list of gluten-free celebrities based on various sources. I do not guarantee the accuracy of this list.