Carly Simon has revealed she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer.

The iconic singer, 83, has been absent from the spotlight for years, and revealed July 27 in a statement that her privacy was partly prompted by her health complications.

“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing,” Simon said in a statement obtained by People. “The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease.”

She continued: “It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly. Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself.”

Simon went on to say that her health problems first started with arthritis in both of her knees and one hip, explaining, “I eventually had all three joints replaced, out with the old and in with delicate bouquets of metal and plastic. After three replacement surgeries, I assumed my difficulty walking was simply an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process.”

However, the “You’re So Vain” hitmaker’s mobility only worsened, and she found it increasingly difficult to stand up from chairs.

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