What We Know About Kris Kristofferson's Health After Alzheimer's Misdiagnosis
Kris Kristofferson is a multi-talented singer/songwriter who is also an actor and writer. Over the years, he has been a bartender, a Golden Gloves boxer, and an Army Ranger, among many other accomplishments. The four-time Grammy winner also won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song Score for the 1985 film "Songwriter," in which he starred with the legendary Willie Nelson. His most famous song was "Me and Bobby McGee," which he recorded in 1969 and then became a huge hit when Janis Joplin sang it on her 1971 posthumous album, "Pearl."
His filmography is an eclectic mix of dozens of roles that several generations of moviegoers fondly remember, some of which include "Vigilante Force" (1976) with Jan-Michael Vincent, "A Star is Born" (1976) with legendary singer Barbara Streisand, and his fan-favorite role as Whistler in the Wesley Snipes vampire films "Blade" (1998) and "Blade II" (2002).
Kristofferson, who always puts forth an incredibly tough guy exterior, dealt with health issues in his personal life, including memory loss. Doctors diagnosed him with Alzheimer's disease, but he continued to have other mysterious ailments. Eventually, because his symptoms were similar to Lyme disease, he took a test, which came back positive. In the Fall of 2016, his wife, Lisa Meyers, told The Lyme Times, "About 12 years ago, he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which, looking back, should have been the first indication that a test for Lyme was warranted."
Kristofferson's doctors didn't think to test for Lyme Disease
Kris Kristofferson's wife, Lisa Meyers, detailed his diagnosis to The Lyme Times. "We suspect he's been infected with Lyme anywhere from fourteen to thirty years because he used to have these chronic muscle spasms, which is a common symptom," she explained. The couple theorized the Malibu doctors didn't think to look for Lyme, adding, "But now we know it's everywhere. There are signs on my local playground that say beware of ticks."
In a June 2016 talk with Rolling Stone, Meyers explained her theory that when Kristofferson was working on the film "Disappearances" in 2006, he may have been bitten by a tick because he was in the Vermont woods shooting it for nearly six weeks. According to the CDC, blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, spread a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi to humans. If not treated immediately, it can affect the heart, joints, and nervous system.
After Kristofferson started developing mysterious symptoms, including major memory loss, he was given medicine for Alzheimer's disease. However, it wasn't working, and Meyers stated, "He was taking all these medications for things he doesn't have, and they all have side effects." When the doctors finally realized he had Lyme disease and gave him proper medication for it, Meyers exclaimed, "All of a sudden he was back," noting that "some days he's perfectly normal, and it's easy to forget that he is even battling anything."
Kristofferson wouldn't change anything in his life
Legendary country singer Kris Kristofferson retired from his music career in 2021, and he and his wife, Lisa Meyers, live on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Radar Online quoted a friend of Kristofferson in September 2023 who stated, "Kris didn't feel he was up to touring anymore. Now, he just wants to make things easier for his family by turning his holdings into cash that will go to them when he's gone," suggesting the singer's final days were nearing.
Part of that translates into the musician putting his 557-acre California ranch, which he originally purchased in 1980, up for sale for $17.2 million. In August 2023, Kristofferson told the Wall Street Journal, "The ranch has always been a place of creativity and inspiration." In the article, prominent realtor Justin Nadeau explained that the ranch has a great deal of history and was built in the 1800s. Despite the incredible amount of land he lived on, Kristofferson did not live an insanely lavish life like other country stars.
On his website, Kris Kristofferson addressed whether he had any regrets in life. "Listen, I have those," he admitted, then continued, "But my life has turned out so well for me that I would be afraid to change anything."