Why Does Joey Graziadei Have Yellow Eyes? ‘Bachelor’ Responds to Fan Concerns
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Joey Graziadei, the current leading man of The Bachelor franchise, has addressed fans’ concerns about his “yellow” eyes, explaining there is a medical reason for the condition.
The reality star took to social media on Thursday, February 29, where he opened up about his medical diagnosis, which he said he’s been living with since childhood.
“I wanted to jump on here really quick and talk about something that I’m seeing a lot of comments about, which is ‘Joey’s yellow eyes,'” Graziadei said in a video shared on his Instagram page. “So, to give some context on that, I have to go all the way back to when I was in high school.”
The tennis pro explained that when he was a teenager, he was “sick for about a week and a half,” so his mom took him to see a doctor. After blood tests, it was discovered his “bilirubin count was very high,” which he said “means that there could be something that was wrong with my liver.”
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According to the Mayo Clinic, “Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment that is made during the breakdown of red blood cells. Bilirubin passes through the liver and is eventually excreted out of the body.”
“So we went and I got a liver ultrasound,” Graziadei continued. “I went to other doctors, and they found out that there was nothing that was necessarily wrong, like hepatitis, but they diagnosed me with something called Gilbert syndrome.”
Again, according to the Mayo Clinic, “Gilbert syndrome is a common, harmless liver condition in which the liver doesn’t properly process bilirubin… [and] is an inherited genetic condition. You might not know you have Gilbert syndrome until it’s discovered by accident, such as when a blood test shows raised bilirubin levels.”
Graziadei assured his fans that he’s “healthy,” though the condition “is 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.”
He concluded, “It’s something I want to pay attention to more going into this year. I want to get my health right and make sure that I’m all good. I do appreciate everyone looking out for me and wondering if I’m okay.”
Graziadei is currently starring on Season 28 of The Bachelor after previously finishing as runner-up on Season 20 of The Bachelorette.
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