The Boys star, Erin Moriarty, is opening up about her Graves’ disease diagnosis and urges fans not to ignore symptoms or “suck it up”.
Erin Moriarty, best known for playing Annie January, aka Starlight, on The Boys, has shared a deeply personal health update with her fans. In a heartfelt Instagram post on June 12, the 30-year-old actress revealed she was recently diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland.
Before her diagnosis, Erin Moriarty assumed her symptoms were just the result of “stress and fatigue,” but her experience led her to a powerful realization.
“Autoimmune disease manifests differently in everybody/every body,” she wrote. “Your experience will be different from mine. My experience will be different from yours. Perhaps greatly, perhaps minutely. One thing I can say: If I hadn’t chalked it all up to stress and fatigue, I would’ve caught this sooner.”
The actress said she learned of her condition just a month ago. “Within 24 hours of beginning treatment, I felt the light coming back on,” she wrote. “It’s been increasing in strength ever since. If yours is dimming, even slightly, go get checked. Don’t ‘suck it up’ and transcend suffering; you deserve to be comfy. S***’s hard enough as is.”
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid, causing it to produce too much thyroid hormone. This can result in hyperthyroidism, a condition that speeds up the body’s functions and can affect nearly every organ. The disease can strike anyone but is most common in women over the age of 20.
In her post, Erin Moriarty included a screenshot of a conversation with her mother, revealing how physically and emotionally drained she had become before seeking treatment. “There aren’t moments anymore, not even a passing 5 seconds, when I feel normal,” she texted. “It’s not just fatigue – it’s an ineffable, system-wide cry for help and I don’t know how long I can remain in this state.”
Erin Moriarty’s candid post is already resonating with fans and others living with chronic conditions. Her vulnerability follows a similar revelation from Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley, who also shared her experience with Graves’ disease in 2024, admitting she originally brushed off her symptoms as part of the job.
The The Boys star has portrayed Starlight since the series debuted on Prime Video in 2019. The hit show is set to conclude with its fifth and final season in 2026. Beyond the superhero genre, Erin Moriarty’s credits include appearances in Jessica Jones, True Detective, Red Widow, and the indie film The Kings of Summer. She’s also set to star in the upcoming horror film True Haunting.
Erin Moriarty’s message is a reminder not to ignore signs when something feels off. “Don’t ‘suck it up’,” she urged. “You deserve to be comfy.”
