TLC star Stacey Silva is opening up about her vitiligo diagnosis.
Darcey & Stacey viewers may have noticed by now that Stacey is afflicted with vitiligo, which causes patches of the skin or hair to lose color.
Stacey opened up about her condition during Season 3 of Darcey & Stacey and revealed that, as a child, she was bullied because of her diagnosis.
One of Stacey’s eyebrows is completely white, and she has a triangular vitiligo patch above the same eye, which is more noticeable when she isn’t wearing a full face of makeup.
Taking to Instagram over the weekend, Stacey shared some screenshots from an In Touch Weekly article and let her fans and critics know that she isn’t ashamed of her vitiligo.
One screenshot included a still of Stacey from an episode of Darcey & Stacey in which her vitiligo patches were visible.
Darcey & Stacey star Stacey Silva shares a vulnerable post relating to her vitiligo
In another screenshot, the article went into detail about Stacey’s encounter with a bully during grade school, which she detailed during an episode of Darcey & Stacey.
“There was this boy on the school bus that used to tease me because I have vitiligo. I have a whole white eyebrow,” Stacey revealed. “And [I] have a triangle-shaped vitiligo patch. So this boy, he used to call me Bermuda Triangle.”
Later on, the same boy who bullied Stacey came knocking at her door to apologize for his behavior.
Stacey captioned the IG post, “I love my VITILIGO!!! I Am Beautiful ❤️ #vitiligo #vitiligobeauty #vitiligoawareness #staceysilva #intouchweekly #vitiligomodel #tlc #magazine #darceyandstacey #90dayfiancé.”
In the comments section, another 90 Day Fiance star, Deavan Clegg, acknowledged that she, too, has vitiligo.
Stacey’s twin, Darcey Silva, showed support for her sister with her comment, which read, “No one can take us down! #silvastrong! ❤️?♀️?”
What is vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a condition that causes the loss of pigmentation in the skin on certain areas of the body. When cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning, vitiligo is present.
Several famous people have also been diagnosed with vitiligo. Model Winnie Harlow and the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, both share the same diagnosis.
In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Stacey pointed out that one way to tell her and her twin sister, Darcey, apart is her vitiligo.
However, Stacey made it clear that her vitiligo diagnosis has only made her a better version of herself.
“I forget that I have vitiligo, but it’s made me who I am,” Stacey said. “It’s made me a stronger woman, and I embrace it now.”
Darcey & Stacey airs on Mondays at its new time, 9/8c, on TLC and Discovery+.