Reality TV star Brandi Glanville is blaming recent facial disfigurement on a parasite she believes is living in her body.
In an interview that aired Dec. 10, the 52-year-old told “Entertainment Tonight” that she’s spent more than $70,000 trying to get rid of the skin condition that emerged after traveling abroad last year. On the trip, there was food—including meat—sitting out for hours, she said.
“Six months after I got back from Morocco, I started having this speaking thing and the swelling up thing,” Glanville said in the online video. “It started in July and we’re still here trying to figure it out.”
The former model is widely known for her role in the reality TV series “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and for being the ex-wife of actor Eddie Cibrian.
“Honestly, I have so many doctors and I’ve had so many tests,” Glanville said. “I did lab work for $10,000. They ran every test under the sun. They’re like, ‘It could be a parasite that’s new.’”
Parasites are organisms that live on or in a host organism. A parasite gets its food “from or at the expense of its host,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some, but not all, parasites are worms. Parasitic infection can occur through contaminated food, water, unclean surfaces, sexual contact or bug bites.
“A parasitic infection in the skin can lead to chronic inflammation, tissue damage, and scarring,” Dr. Hannah Kopelman told The Epoch Times on Dec. 13. “Some parasites can also migrate, potentially affecting other organs. In rare cases, systemic complications might arise if the parasite spreads.”
Kopelman is a dermatologist at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery in New Jersey and hosts a weekly podcast called Derm Club.
The unsightly health issue has cramped Glanville’s social life and caused her financial stress. She has spent $10,000 on lab work alone.
“I’ve been on meds this whole year,” Glanville said. “I don’t socialize. I don’t go out and I’m just spending all of my money on trying to figure out what’s wrong with me.”
Treatment requires anti-parasitic medications specific to the type of parasite involved and in some cases, surgical removal of the parasite or infected tissue is necessary.
Although she hasn’t treated Glanville, Kopelman believes the TV personality may be struggling with Leishmania, a parasite transmitted by sandfly bites.
“Certain parasites are capable of embedding themselves in human tissue, including the face,” Kopelman said. “Another possibility could be Dirofilaria, a nematode that occasionally affects humans, leading to skin nodules where the parasite resides.”
The treatments Glanville has tried so far have only provided temporary relief. She posted on social media that she has tried ivermectin, mebendazole, and hydroxychloroquine, as well as intravenous antibiotics.
Glanville compared the suspected parasitic infection to “having babies in my face.”
If left untreated, Kopelman said that a parasitic infection in the skin can lead to chronic inflammation, tissue damage, and scarring.
“Some parasites can also migrate, potentially affecting other organs,” Kopelman said. “In rare cases, systemic complications might arise if the parasite spreads.”
Glanville has admitted to having facial injections in the past but recently disclosed that they are now dissolved. Known as fillers, the facial injections are used for facial rejuvenation.
“They aren’t linked to parasites directly,” board-certified dermatologist Dr. Viktoryia Kazlouskaya told The Epoch Times on Dec. 13. “As a public figure, Brandi might feel especially sensitive about any changes in her appearance. This could make the situation feel more dramatic for her, even if it’s not something as extreme as a parasite.”
Kazlouskaya is the owner of Dermatology Circle clinic in New York.
Kopelman said that preventing a parasitic infection requires minimizing exposure in high-risk areas.
“This includes using insect repellents, wearing protective clothing, and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets in regions where vector-borne parasites are endemic,” she said. “Avoiding contaminated water and maintaining good hygiene during travel can also reduce the risk.”
Glanville did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.
