For five years, Claire Foy secretly battled a “disgusting” parasitic infection.
The ‘Crown’ star believes he contracted a parasite during a trip to Morocco, but was forced to give up caffeine as he struggled to fight off the long-standing infection.
“I kept losing weight, but I didn’t know what was going on,” she said on Tuesday’s episode of the podcast “Table Manners with Jesse and Renee Ware.” “I was like, ‘I’m eating everything.’ I was so hungry.”
When host Jesse Ware asked if blood or stool tests had confirmed the infection, Foy replied: “Oh, that’s terrible.”
Parasitic infections are diseases caused by microorganisms that live on other living things. They can cause fever, fatigue, intestinal symptoms, skin rash, and neurological symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“They’re traveling in pairs. The doctors said it’s terrible, absolutely rank. It’s terrible,” the two-time Emmy winner continued, adding that she believes she has been living with the infection “for at least five years.”
To get rid of the parasites, Foy began a strict diet that included cutting out caffeine so she didn’t have to take antibiotics.
Foy admitted that quitting caffeine wasn’t easy, as she was drinking “at least 15 cups of tea a day” along with two cups of coffee, but even after the parasite was effectively treated, she decided to permanently cut caffeine from her diet.
Two “Real Housewives” stars, Brandi Glanville and Vicki Gunvalson, also claimed to have contracted parasitic infections in Morocco, but their symptoms presented much differently than Foy’s.
Granville suffered facial injuries, while Gunvalson said she continued to feel “sluggish” for more than two years after her trip to Morocco, experiencing bloating and constant fatigue.
“I don’t poop. It’s very difficult for me. Then maybe once a week. All that comes out is pellets. That’s it,” she said on SiriusXM’s “Jeff Lewis Live” in July 2025.
After starting treatment for her colon, she was told her “intestines” were “full of parasites” and claimed she was taking ivermectin “twice a month” to kill the parasites.
