15 cleft lip and palate celebrities from all over the world
Cleft lip and palate are congenital disabilities of the lip and mouth, also known as orofacial clefts. While cleft defects are more common in boys, girls do get them. There are several who were born with a cleft lip and palate scar. Some have openly discussed their experiences, encouraging those with the condition. Here are some of the known cleft lip and palate celebrities worldwide.
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A cleft lip and palate is a congenital malformation caused by the failure of the facial tissues that create the lips and palate to fuse properly during embryonic development. This malformation can be rectified surgically.
15 cleft lip and palate celebrities
Do you know that there are several cleft lip and palate celebrities you can not easily recognise had the condition? Most of these celebrities have undergone surgery to correct it. They include:
1. Tom Selleck
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Thomas William Selleck is an American actor and producer. He has a successful acting career and is famous for portraying Frank Reagan in the TV series Blue Bloods and Magnum in Magnum, P.I. Tom Selleck is one of the famous actors with a cleft palate, which is not easily recognisable.
Tom shared his childhood experience living with a cleft mouth, revealing that he endured bullying during his youth.
2. Rita MacNeil
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Rita MacNeil was a Canadian singer from the community of Big Pond on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. She was known for her powerful and emotional singing. She released numerous albums such as Born a Woman, I'm Not What I Seem, Once Upon a Christmas and Songs My Mother Loved.
Rita was born with a cleft lip and palate and played a role as patron of the Cleft Palate Foundation of Canada. The talented singer died on April 16, 2013, from surgery complications after a recurrent infection.
3. Jürgen Habermas
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Habermas was born with a cleft palate and had corrective surgery twice during childhood. He is a German philosopher and sociologist. Habermas is one of the most influential thinkers in political philosophy and critical theory.
Habermas is most recognised for his work on the concept of modernity, particularly in relation to Max Weber's theories of rationalisation. He has been influenced by American pragmatism, action theory, and poststructuralism.
4. Cher
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Cher, also known as Cherilyn Sarkisian, is an American singer, actress and television personality. She is renowned for albums like All I Really Want to Do, 3614 Jackson Highway, It's a Man's World and Bittersweet White Light.
She has also made a name in the film industry, having been featured in multiple films, including If These Walls Could Talk, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Bobbleheads: The Movie and Wild on the Beach. The singer-actress is one of the popular actresses with a cleft lip, which was surgically corrected when she was a child.
5. Leonardo DiCaprio
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Leonardo DiCaprio is a renowned American actor and environmental activist. He has received numerous awards for his acting, including an Academy Award. Leonardo DiCaprio is among the popular actors with a cleft lip, which was corrected through surgery during his infancy.
DiCaprio achieved international stardom when he starred in Romeo + Juliet and Titanic. He has also appeared in films like Killers of the Flower Moon, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Wolf of Wall Street and Catch Me If You Can.
6. Richard Hawley
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Richard Hawley is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released several successful albums and is known for his melancholic music. Some of his great singles are Born Under a Bad Sign, For Your Lover, Give Some Time, I Still Want You and Ballad of a Thin Man.
Richard Hawley has collaborated with famous singers such as Lisa Marie Presley, Shakespeare Sister, Manic Street Preachers and Paul Weller. The singer was born with a cleft palate, which required numerous operations.
7. Tom Burke
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Tom Burke is an English actor known for his film, television, and theatre work. He is best known for his roles in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Great Expectations, Romeo and Juliet, The Invisible Woman and The Wonder.
Tom Burke has established himself as a distinguished actor known for his ability to add nuance and complexity to his plays. He was born with a cleft lip and had reconstructive surgery.
8. Florence Welch
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Florence Welch is a British singer, songwriter, and musician known for her work as the lead vocalist of the band Florence and the Machine. She has received critical acclaim for her music, and her band has produced hit songs like Dog Days Are Over, Shake It Out, and You've Got the Love.
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Welch at number 128 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. The singer is among the famous female celebrities with a cleft lip that is not recognisable. She underwent surgery to correct it.
9. David Ortiz
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David Ortiz is a Dominican-American former professional baseball. He is a designated hitter and first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2016. Ortiz has advocated for youngsters like himself who have cleft lip and palate.
He has raised awareness and finances for organisations that perform reconstructive operations for those in need.
10. J.R. Martinez
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Martinez is an American actor, motivational speaker, and former U.S. Army soldier born with a cleft lip and palate. He won season 13 of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. In 2003, Martinez sustained severe burns to over 34 per cent of his body while serving as an Army infantryman in Iraq.
Martinez has also held the position of radio host. His debut appearance came in 2012 when he filled in for KFI-AM 640's Bill Carroll. He later launched his regular Sunday evening radio show.
11. Victor Garber
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Victor Garber is a Canadian-American actor and singer. He is known for his role in TV series such as And Just Like That..., The Last Thing He Told Me, The Simpsons, DC's Legends of Tomorrow and American Masters.
12. Cher Lloyd
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Cher Lloyd is among the most popular cleft palate celebrities. The actress was the thirteenth contestant eliminated on the seventh series of the television talent show The X Factor in 2010.
Her discography comprises two studio albums, ten singles, five featured singles, and eight promotional singles. Her popular singles include None of My Business, One Drink Away and Want U Back.
13. Cheech Marin
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Cheech Marin is an American comedian, actor, and musician. He is best known for his work as part of the comedy duo Cheech & Chong alongside Tommy Chong. Some of their most popular comedy albums and films include Up in Smoke, Cheech and Chong's Next Movie, and Nice Dreams.
Cheech was born with a cleft lip and palate and underwent surgery to repair it as a child.
14. Tom Brokaw
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Thomas is a retired network television journalist and author from the United States. He is the only person to have hosted The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and, briefly, Meet the Press.
Brokaw has received numerous medals and honours, including two Peabody medals, two Emmy Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Some of his books include The Fall of Richard Nixon: A Reporter Remembers Watergate and The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation About America.
15. Carmit Bachar
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Carmit is a dancer, choreographer, and singer from the United States. She was a part of the pop groups The Pussycat Dolls and LadyStation in the past. As a dancer, she has performed on tour with Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez.
Carmit was born with a cleft lip and palate, but he had surgery to fix the condition. She has volunteered with the non-profit Smile Train, which gives free operations to children born with cleft lips and palates in impoverished nations.
These cleft lip and palate celebrities have succeeded greatly in their respective industries. They have also conquered the difficulties connected with cleft lip and palate problems. They continue to raise awareness about cleft lip and palate issues worldwide.
Legit.ng recently published a list of celebrities with buffalo hump, dowager's hump or Cushing's syndrome. Buffalo hump is caused by a disorder of excess cortisol. The excess cortisol increases metabolism, leading to the deposition of fatty tissue between the shoulders and the neck.
Several celebrities have the condition, but you may not notice because some conceal it, while on others, it might be too small to be noticed. Read on to find out these celebrities with dowager's hump, which affects their posture.
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