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‘CHECK OUT THE IRONY’

Music Legend, 83, Shares the Painful Reason She’s Avoided Photos for 7 Years

The Grammy-winning artist was last photographed at an event in 2019.

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedJul 27, 2026, 2:48 PM EDT

UpdatedJul 27, 2026, 2:48 PM EDT

Updated Jul 27, 2026, 2:48 PM EDTPublished Jul 27, 2026, 2:48 PM EDT

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“You’re So Vain” singer Carly Simon revealed why she has not been photographed in public since 2019.

On Monday, the 83-year-old Grammy and Golden Globe winner shared that she had been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on her face in a statement obtained by People.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most typical type of skin cancer, most commonly caused by sun exposure. It is often located on the face or the neck, and can take different forms, commonly looking like a skin-colored, pink, brown, or black bump, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Simon underwent a successful skin cancer surgery, but she was left with side effects that altered how she felt about herself.

“The cancer was removed, but the surgery affected my appearance and made me more self-conscious about being seen in public,” the New York City-born singer-songwriter wrote.

Continuing, “I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine (check out the irony of having written ‘You’re So Vain.’), and this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material.”

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Around the time of her skin cancer surgery, Simon was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that progresses over time. The symptoms may include tremor, stiff muscles, and slower movement, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“Between my mobility issues, the Parkinson’s diagnosis, the surgery, and the emotional effects of it all, withdrawing from public view was the most palatable reaction,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer wrote.

Adding, “Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all.”

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Simon first noticed issues with her knees as well as one of her hips, and underwent three joint replacement surgeries.

“But my mobility continued to worsen. I had trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches without someone offering me an arm,” Simon wrote.

Simon added, “Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help.”

Although there is no existing cure for Parkinson’s, Simon began treatment and is taking medicine which can help with her symptoms.

Even while steering away from the spotlight, Simon kept working.

She will release her next album, Comes in Waves, on Aug. 14—17 years after releasing her latest, Never Been Gone, in 2009.

“These days I move more slowly, I lean on others more than I once did, and I have learned to accept that every day will look a little different,” Simon wrote, continuing, “But I am still very much here.”

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Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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