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Why Are The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei’s Eyes Yellow? He Reveals Gilbert Syndrome Diagnosis
After receiving an influx of social media comments wondering why the whites of his eyes look yellow sometimes, Joey Graziadei is setting the record straight. The Bachelor star posted a video where he opened up about a diagnosis he received in high school, which causes the discoloration in his eyes.
Why Are ‘The Bachelor’ Star Joey Graziadei’s Eyes Yellow?
Joey’s eyes are yellow because he has a condition called Gilbert Syndrome. He shared the news in an Instagram video posted on February 29, 2024.
“I wanted to jump on here really quick and talk about something that I am seeing a lot of comments about, which is Joey’s yellow eyes,” the tennis instructor said. “So to give some context on that, I have to go all the way back to when I was in high school. I was sick for about a week and a half and my mom thought it would be a good idea to go to the doctor. When I went to the doctor, 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.”
After receiving the information, Joey got a liver ultrasound and saw other doctors before finally getting his official diagnosis. “They found out that there was nothing necessarily wrong, like hepatitis,” he added. “But they diagnosed me with something called Gilbert syndrome.”
What Is Gilbert Syndrome?
Gilbert syndrome (pronounced zheel-BAYR) is a “common, harmless liver condition in which the liver doesn’t properly process bilirubin,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Bilirubin is “a yellowish pigment that is made during the breakdown of red blood cells. It passes through the liver and is eventually excreted out of the body.”
The disease is a genetic condition, with the main symptom being jaundiced (yellow-pigmented) skin and whites of the eyes. “It’s something that does affect the whites of the eyes,” Joey explained in his video. “It makes it have those jaundice levels, which is why they look a little bit more yellow.”
No treatment is required for Gilbert syndrome, according to Mayo Clinic.
Is The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei OK Amid Gilbert Syndrome Diagnosis?
Joey confirmed in his video that he is “healthy.” However, after hearing concerns from so many fans, he assured The Bachelor viewers that he “wants to pay attention to” his Gilbert Syndrome more in 2024.
“I want to get my health right and make sure that I’m all good,” he said. “I just wanted to give you some background and let you know that, to my knowledge, I am healthy. It’s just something that I have to pay attention to, drinking more fluids.”
He also explained why people watching The Bachelor may have noticed his eyes getting more yellow as the season progressed. “It’s worse when I have stress and lack of sleep, which happens on a TV show,” Joey revealed. “I do appreciate everyone looking out for me and wondering if I’m OK. To my knowledge, I’m as OK as I can be and I’m continuing to look at it.”
