Tina Turner Reveals ‘Deadly Danger’ Lurking in Her Kidneys—Just 2 Months Before Passing
Just two months before her passing in May 2023, music legend Tina Turner made a deeply personal confession that shocked fans and health advocates alike. On World Kidney Day, she took to Instagram to reflect on a painful truth: her kidneys were failing, and she blamed herself.
Tina admitted that for years she underestimated the dangers of high blood pressure, a condition she had lived with since 1978. Despite medical advice, she confessed to not taking her medication consistently and even turning to homeopathic remedies instead of prescribed treatment. This, she later realized, had devastating consequences. “My kidneys are victims of my not realizing that my high blood pressure should have been treated,” she wrote. “I have put myself in great danger by refusing to accept the reality that I need daily, lifelong therapy with medication.”
Her honesty was rare and raw. For someone whose public image had always been one of strength and resilience — on stage, in her personal life, and as a survivor — this admission was both powerful and heartbreaking.
Turner’s struggle with her kidneys had begun years earlier. In 2009, she suffered a stroke, one that was directly linked to her unmanaged hypertension. It was then that doctors noticed her kidneys were only functioning at around 35%. Over time, her condition worsened. She began dialysis treatments, and by 2017, she was in desperate need of a transplant.
That transplant came from the person who stood beside her throughout her later years: her husband, Erwin Bach. In an extraordinary act of love, Erwin donated one of his kidneys to Tina. The surgery saved her life, but it wasn’t a simple road to recovery. Turner later described the painful side effects — constant nausea, dizziness, memory loss, and the psychological toll of living with a donor organ that her body occasionally rejected.
Still, Tina fought on. As the years passed, she chose to become a vocal advocate for kidney health. In that final Instagram post, she encouraged others to take early warning signs seriously and not ignore their blood pressure. She hoped her story would help raise awareness about the dangers of silent kidney disease — a condition that can remain hidden until it’s too late.
Fans around the world were moved by her message, especially knowing now that it was one of her last public statements. Just weeks later, on May 24, 2023, Tina Turner passed away at her home in Switzerland after what her publicist described as a long illness. While the exact cause was not confirmed at the time, her own words had made it clear: her body had been in a prolonged, private battle for years.
Her death was mourned globally, but her final message remained — a legacy not only of music, but of caution, courage, and honesty. Tina Turner didn’t just sing about survival. She lived it — and, in her final months, taught the world one more lesson about self-care and vulnerability.
Her story serves as a stark reminder that even icons are human. Her journey with kidney disease — from denial to dialysis, from crisis to advocacy — speaks to millions who quietly face chronic illness. In her final act, Tina Turner turned her pain into purpose.