Samantha Ruth Prabhu revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Myositis. The actress then took a break from films so that she could focus on her health. The actress has taken a step forward to spread awareness about the disease. She was also appointed as the brand ambassador for Myositis India last year. Speaking about her illness, Samantha Ruth Prabhu revealed at India Today Conclave 2024 that she was forced to go public about her diagnosis.
At the conference, Samantha recalled why she decided to disclose to the world about her illness, “I was forced to go public about my disorder. At that time, I had my female-centric film due for release. I was very sick back then. It was hard and I wasn’t ready. There were all sorts of speculation going around and misinformation being spread. The producers needed me to promote it, otherwise, it (the film) would just die,” she shared.
The actress continued, “So, I agreed to do one interview. Obviously, I didn’t look the same. I had high doses of medication to keep me stable. I was forced to. Given a choice, I wouldn’t have come out and announced it. I was called sympathy queen by the public. My journey as an actor, as a human being, I have evolved so much. Early on in my career, I was anxious and go up (online) looking for nasty articles and what was being written about me.”