Toni Braxton has opened up about her secret struggle with lupus, revealing the health battle during a speech at a benefit lunch to raise awareness of the illness.
The Unbreak my Heart singer stunned guests at the 8th Annual Lupus Bag Ladies Luncheon in Los Angeles on Tuesday (16Nov10) by admitting she too had to deal with the autoimmune disease on a daily basis.
She told the audience, "Take a look, this is what lupus looks like."
Braxton later expressed her relief about finally going public with her illness in a post on her Twitter.com page, writing, “Had a great time... A big moment for me. It was a tough decision to come out about it. But it was such a relief!”
The disease, which causes the body's immune system to attack healthy cells and tissue, has hit the headlines over the last year (10) - Lady Gaga revealed she tested "borderline positive" for lupus, while Simon Cowell's ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour recently told how she had battled the illness since her teens.