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Watching LaLa Anthony juggle writing books, shocking us on Power, stunting on the red carpet and parenting her young son, you would never think that she suffers from migraines, but she does.

“I’ve had migraines for the past 10 years, and they can get really bad. So much so that I just want to lay in the bed with the lights out,” Anthony told HelloBeautiful, admitting that there are times when she wasn’t always there as present as she wanted to be for 12-year-old Kiyan.

“It can be as simple as just going to his basketball practice and being present. It may just be practice, but for him, it’s the most important thing, it’s everything to him,” she stressed.

“But for me, just the dribbling of the ball and the noise can be too much for me, but I never want him to see that I’m not there for him. I need to be present in those moments in my life.”

Sadly, Anthony is not alone. According to the American Migraine Foundation, there are more than 37 million migraine sufferers in the U.S. each year with symptoms including sensitivity to light, pain on one side of the head, and nausea.

As many of you know, with migraines comes many missed moments. This is why Anthony is partnering with Excedrin for the Take Two contest, which invites people who have missed out on important moments in their lives because of their migraines.

HelloBeautiful sat down with Anthony to talk about her personal battle, how Excedrin has helped her cope and how she was never going to let a migraine stop her from going to the Met Gala.

HelloBeautiful: You could be the face of any product. Why this one?

LaLa Anthony: If I am going to partner with a brand, it has to be something that I believe in and something I use. So, for them to have the Take Two contest and help people relive the experiences they have lost is so cool. I’ve been there, I know what it’s like. There were so many times that I couldn’t go out with my family, missed concerts, or wasn’t [emotionally] present for a family reunion.

But I’m a migraine sufferer too and I just people to know that they can still have a life. I’m so happy to be here to inspire other people who deal with the same thing. 

HB: How long have you had migraines?

LA: For the last tens years definitely. And I always knew this was more than a normal headache. Over the years, I’ve been to different doctors, but what would do it for me every time was Excedrin. Within 30 minutes to an hour, I get my energy back and keep going. 

 

HB: I won’t lie, watching the last episode of Power, with poor LaKeisha being shot in the head, all I could think about was you and your migraines. The scene was ruined for me!

LA: [Laughs] Ha! Oh no!

HB: It’s OK. But seriously, how do you handle with all?

LA: On top of taking Excedrin, I just push past it all, whether it’s on set or anywhere else. That’s how I am.

HB: I read that at the 2016 Met Gala you had a migraine before the event and you took two Excerdrin’s to help. Is that true?

LA: Yes! It is true! And listen, I was never going to miss that! So I took two and ended up having a great time.

HB: That’s got to be rough, knowing that they can just pop up at any time. 

LA: You don’t know when they are gonna come, and people say, “Oh, well manage your stress,” but I’ve gotten migraines when I was having the best day of my life. There is no rhyme or reason as to when they come. 

HB: Despite them being so unpredictable, do you have any triggers? 

LA: I avoid smoke and flashing lights. I drink a lot of water and watch what I eat, which has helped. But that’s the thing, everyone is different and has different triggers.

HB: Finally, what’s next for you?

LA: Obviously, “Power” is done. That was such a big part of my life, but now I’m in Chicago filming [Lena Waithe’s] “The Chi.” I am also producing a TV show on Starz with 50 Cent called “Intercepted” and working on the third installment of my book, “The Power Playbook.” 

To enter the Excedrin Take Two contest, visit http://www.excedrin.com/ExcedrinTakeTwo. The contest began on 10/7 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. CT on October 18, 2019. There will be five total winners: 2 grand prize winners and 3 additional first prize winners. Full contest rules linked here

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