'What happened to Vybz Kartel's face?' Fans question appearance amid battle with Graves'

NEW YORK - "What happened to Vybz Kartel's face?" has become a viral search term on both Google and TikTok since his release from prison. 

Many fans are wondering about the star's visible face swelling and overall appearance. 

Despite releasing an entire album less than 24 hours after being released from prison, Jamaican music icon Vybz Kartel says he's focused on his health and overall wellness. 

"Healthwise, you know I'm working on my health right now, but the feeling of just being free is just an amazing feeling," Kartel told FOX 5's Lisa Evers.

Adidjah Palmer, known as Vybz Kartel, walked out of prison a free man on July 31, after a unanimous decision against a retrial in the murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams, whose body was never found. 

Although the fight for freedom is over, the fight for his health remains ongoing. 

The truth is, he almost didn't make it.

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What disease does Vybz Kartel have?

For more than half his time behind bars, Kartel was reportedly battling Graves' Disease under conditions many called "inhumane."

Kartel's physician, Dr. Karen Phillips, made sworn statements in court that Kartel's heart function was below normal and that he could have a heart attack at any time. Or even die in his sleep.

With Graves’ disease, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland, causing it to make more thyroid hormones than your body needs. As a result, many of your body’s functions speed up (CDC).

In the court's final decision, they cited the potential that Kartel would not be able to complete a potentially longer sentence if there were to be a retrial, given his condition. 

His Graves' Disease showed no sign of remission. 

In a 2021 jailhouse exclusive interview with Lisa Evers, she asked Kartel about the health rumors. At the time, he said that despite everyone saying that his situation was hopeless, he kept his faith that one day he would become a free man again.

What is Graves' Disease? 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of people have thyroid disease, with glands that don't produce enough hormones to meet their bodies' needs, or make too many.

In 2018, Wendy Williams announced that she was seeking treatment for Graves' disease.

Graves disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes overstimulation of the thyroid (CDC). 

Wendy explained that the disease affects muscles behind the eyeballs and was the reason for her eyes twitching at times. 

Visible symptoms of Graves' include the following according to the CDC:

• Weight gain
• Dry and coarse skin and hair
• Changes in the face
• Bulging eyes

Voice changes, such as hoarseness and a deeper tone, can also be symptoms of Graves' disease.

On the other hand, hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland overproduces the hormone thyroxine, according to Mayo Clinic.

What's next for Vybz Kartel? 

Now his doctor plans to monitor him much more closely.

"I have appointments with my doctor on Monday, so I can have regular meetings with her, you know, and she can keep track of me in real time," Kartel said. 

When asked how he was feeling physically, Kartel said he could be better. 

"I could be better, but I'm super upbeat," he said. 

He says he's already bought a bike and a treadmill as part of his new health routine.

"I've hit the ground running," Kartel said.

When he was behind bars, Dr. Karen Phillips was only allowed to see him four times a year.

"She even mentioned that she's going to… put me on a special diet, so she can monitor me literally every day,

"Which is a far cry from when you're in prison," Kartel said. 

"The best is yet to come," he added.