Chris Johnson among celebrities diagnosed with ALS. Who are the others?
Amaris EncinasFormer NFL star Chris Johnson is the latest celebrity to open up about his ongoing battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
In a June 29 interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," the ex-Tennessee Titans running back revealed he was diagnosed with the nervous system disease, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, last year at the age of 39.
"There's no history of ALS in my family," Johnson said. "My doctors believe my case is what's called sporadic ALS, which is actually how the vast majority of ALS cases happen."
"That's one of the reasons this disease can be so shocking. It can happen to someone who never expected it," he added.
Johnson's announcement comes months after the death of "Grey's Anatomy" star Eric Dane, who first disclosed his ALS diagnosis in April 2025. Johnson, like Dane, experienced weakness in his right hand in the months leading up to the diagnosis.
Johnson is also working with Dr. Merritt Cudkowicz, a neurologist at Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute, who worked with Dane to manage his symptoms and slow the illness down, as there is no known cure for ALS at this time.
ALS affects thousands of people each year, including notable figures like Johnson and Dane. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recent reports estimate that close to 35,000 people in the United States have ALS, with about 5,000 people diagnosed annually.
Here are other notable figures who received the same diagnosis as Johnson.
Other notable figures diagnosed with ALS
From Eric Dane to Chris Johnson, here are other notable figures diagnosed with ALS:
- "SpongeBob SquarePants" creator Stephen Hillenburg (Died March 2017)
- Stephen Hawking (Died March 2018)
- French actor Pierre Deny (Died May 2026)
- Actor Russell Andrews
- Broadway actor Aaron Lazar
- Broadway actress and singer Rebecca Luker (Died December 2020)
- Former NFL player Eric Stevens
- Zac Brown Band member John Driskell Hopkins
- The Oak Ridge Boys' Joe Bonsall (Died July 2024)
- Singer Roberta Flack (Died February 2025)
- Actor Kenneth Mitchell (Died February 2024)
- Musician Kim Shattuck (Died October 2019)
What is ALS?
ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a "progressive disease in which a person’s brain loses connection with the muscles, slowly taking away their ability to walk, talk, eat and eventually breathe," according to the ALS Association.
Per the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, it affects motor neurons (nerve cells) in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and breathing.
As motor neurons begin to deteriorate and die, they stop sending messages to the muscles, causing them to weaken, twitch and waste away. The brain eventually loses its ability to start and control voluntary movements.
Early symptoms, according to institute, include:
- Muscle twitches in the arm, leg, shoulder or tongue
- Muscle cramps
- Tight and stiff muscles (spasticity)
- Muscle weakness affecting an arm, leg or neck
- Slurred and nasal speech
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
There is no known treatment to reverse damage to motor neurons or cure ALS at this time; however, some treatments "may slow progression of the disorder, improve quality of life, and extend survival," the institute said.
Most people diagnosed with ALS die "within 3-to-5 years of symptoms first appearing," with about one in 10 people surviving for 10 years or more.
Contributing: Jacob Camenker and Jack McKessy, USA TODAY