Lee Thomas, an Emmy award winning news anchor and entertainment reporter for the Fox Broadcasting affiliate in Detroit, has a medical condition that he has tried to hide for fifteen years. He is a black man turning white because of a disorder called vitiligo.
Thomas, known for his quirky, upbeat reporting style, first noticed the white patches on his skin and was diagnosed with the condition which causes the pigment making cells to be destroyed. This is reportedly the same disorder that has plagued Michael Jackson.
Thomas used makeup successfully for many years to disguise the condition. He routinely traveled to Hollywood for one on one interviews with stars like Will Smith, Halle Berry and Tom Cruise. When it became impossible to hid, he approached his station director, expecting to lose his anchor spot. WJBK’s vice president of news encouraged him to tell his story and share the fact that over 2 million people in the U.S. have the condition. In November 2005, Thomas went forward with the story and then took a leave of absence.
The 4o year old has learned to deal with the public perception that his condition is to be feared or that it is contagious. During his hiatus from work, he wrote a book called Turning White: A Memoir of Change. Thomas still wears makeup for his on air broadcasting but has opted not to cover up his condition when he is not working.
Thomas has become a celebrity spokesman for the National Vitiligo Foundation based in Columbus, Ohio.
We’ve included a picture of Lee Thomas without makeup to illustrate how the disorder progresses.