Jack Osbourne says his multiple sclerosis diagnosis affected his career, causing him to lose his job when he was declared an “insurance risk”.
Osbourne opened up about his experience at Steel City Con in Monroesville, Penn. on Friday, December 6. “Professionally, it was a problem early on because they couldn’t hire me in productions because I was considered an insurance risk because I had a neurological disorder.”
“They were like, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s too dangerous,'” Osbourne, 39, said of his diagnosis in 2012. “So I lost my job, and I found it really insulting.”
“I know what it means to be a producer. We’re not that smart,” said Osbourne, who produces horror and haunted-travel shows. “And you’re going to sit there and, like, the producer is going to tell me what I can or can’t do on the neurological [issue]? I said, ‘No, fuck it, dude, stay in your lane.’ ”
Jack Osbourne in 2012, when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
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The Osbournes The alum was 26 when he was diagnosed with the disease – just two weeks after he and ex-wife Lisa Stelly welcomed daughter Pearl Clementine, now 12. (They also share daughters Andy Rose, 9, and Minnie Theodora, 6; Osbourne and wife Aree Gearhart share a daughter, Maple, 2.)
Multiple sclerosis causes the protective covering of the nerves to break down,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It can cause numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes, and other symptoms. Some people lose the ability to walk independently or move at all.
That was not Osbourne’s experience.
“Touch wood, I was very lucky. I have MS and haven’t had much trouble with it over the years,” he said.
Jack Osbourne and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ partner Cheryl Burke.
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Osbourne also shared the surprising way he changed the public’s perception of his health: “What was really the turning point for me, as weird as it sounds, I was Dancing with the stars and he did really well. After that, everyone said, ‘Oh, he’s fine.’
“Some things here and there, but nothing life-changing so far, which I consider my blessing for that. I exercise a lot. My whole thing is ‘a body in motion stays in motion.’ Just keep going. I try to eat right … I like to do things. I love rock climbing. I do a lot of Jiu Jitsu and hiking. I like to be active.”
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Source: HIS Education