“The Bachelor” star Joey Graziadei revealed his “yellow eyes” are a result of Gilbert syndrome.
Graziadei, 28, shared an Instagram video Thursday addressing his diagnosis after fans questioned why his eyes appeared to have a yellow tint to them on the ABC reality dating series.
“When I was in high school, I was sick for about a week and a half,” he recalled.
After getting some bloodwork done, Graziadei’s bilirubin count was “very high,” which signaled that there could be a problem with his liver.
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“They diagnosed me with something: Gilbert syndrome,” he said. “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.”
Gilbert syndrome is a “common, harmless liver condition in which the liver doesn’t properly process bilirubin,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
Graziadei explained that his condition gets “worse” when he is stressed or tired.
“It’s something I want to pay attention to more going into this year. I wanna get my health right and make sure that I’m all good, but I at least wanted to give some background and let you know, to my knowledge, I am healthy. It’s just something that I have to pay attention to drinking more fluids,” he continued.
The reality TV star expressed his appreciation for viewers “looking out for me and wondering if I’m OK,” but as far as he knows, “I’m OK as I can be, and I’ll continue to look out.”
Fans praised Graziadei in the comments section for being honest and teased him for his eyes being the most controversial thing about him.
“the fact that this is the kind of scandal you have to address just proves you are bachelor nation’s unproblematic king,” one user wrote.
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“You are the best bachelor the show has had! You are genuine and respectful! Love you and hope you find your person!” someone else raved.
“Not Joey sharing his childhood health issues with us. Stay hydrated, king!” another fan chimed in.
“Joey! You’re so sweet. That’s crazy! I honestly never noticed. I hope people haven’t been rude about it. You’re one of the kindest bachelors I’ve ever seen. Take care and drink your water!” a follower added.
“our jaundiced king,” another quipped.
Graziadei was the runner-up on Charity Lawson’s season of “The Bachelorette” last year before being named the lead of “The Bachelor” Season 28.
