An IV line attached to his arm, a single pill on a plate, a bottle of water and herbs, and a book by Marcus Aurelius: that is how Antonino Spinalbese, 31, chose to show his followers the days he is spending in a medical facility, where he has been admitted for Crohn’s disease, Today reported. The hairstylist and former Big Brother VIP contestant published the carousel of images on his Instagram profile, immediately alarming fans with a shot of him lying in a hospital bed.
Spinalbese, known to gossip headlines as the former partner of Belen Rodriguez and the father of their 5-year-old daughter, Luna Marì, paired the photos with a caption that mixes irony and resignation: “Crohn, we have a problem: I love stability, but not in toxic relationships.”
An embrace with Luna Marì among the hospital photos
Among the images Spinalbese shared is a tender photo of him hugging Luna Marì, born from his past relationship with the Argentine showgirl, which Il Messaggero, Libero and Gossip.it all noted in their coverage. Libero described the caption as a sign that, despite the evident suffering of his hospitalization, Spinalbese is still supported by a certain fighting spirit.
A health battle first revealed in March 2022
This is not the first time Spinalbese has spoken publicly about his health. In March 2022, Il Messaggero reported, he revealed he suffered from a serious autoimmune disease linked to the pancreas, discovered after he experienced strong pains. “I’ve always felt like a superhero, stupidly I’d never even had a headache, I’d never taken medication,” he said in a video posted on social media at the time. Speaking later to Italian Stories, he added: “Let’s say I have the pancreas of an old man,” and explained that becoming a father had scared him, but that with the doctors’ help he had found a healthy life, one he already had and had improved.
What Crohn’s disease does to the body
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive system that can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus, most frequently involving the small intestine and the colon. Its causes are not yet fully known, and genetic predisposition, immune system alterations and environmental factors are believed to contribute. The most common symptoms are abdominal pain and cramps, chronic diarrhea, uncontrolled weight loss, fatigue, recurrent fever and malabsorption of nutrients. In Italy the disease has an incidence of about 10 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year, striking mainly young people between 15 and 35. There is no definitive cure, but modern drug therapies — corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and biologics — together with surgery in the most complex cases, allow flare-ups to be managed and periods of remission to be prolonged.
The question still open: is this linked to the 2022 pancreas diagnosis?
Gossip.it noted that people with Crohn’s can also develop pancreas problems, such as pancreatitis, but Spinalbese has not clarified whether his current hospitalization is connected to the condition he described in 2022. Belen Rodriguez, Libero reported, has not commented publicly on her ex-partner’s hospitalization.
Questions fans are asking right now
What exactly did Spinalbese post from the hospital? A carousel of photos showing him in a hospital bed with an IV attached to his arm, a single pill, a bottle of medicinal liquid, water and herbs, and a hug with his daughter Luna Marì, accompanied by the caption about Crohn’s and “toxic relationships.”
How common is Crohn’s disease in Italy? About 10 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year, with the disease striking predominantly young people between 15 and 35 years old.
Spinalbese has not said. Gossip.it pointed out that Crohn’s patients can develop pancreas complications, but no source confirms a link between the two diagnoses.
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