What happened to Seal’s face? His facial scars, explained

With a beloved anthem like “Kiss from a Rose” still maintaining a huge impact in the music industry, it’s not hard to understand why Seal is still considered as one of the most popular singers of all time.

Born as Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, the celebrated British songwriter, singer, and record producer has sold over 20 million records globally, and he is best known for his raspy, soulful singing voice. Along with “Kiss from a Rise,” the British mainstay has released hits such as “Crazy” and “Killer.”

Given how successful his career has been, it’s certainly no surprise that he has stayed within the public eye for decades. And with so many eyes on him, there continues to be questions about how he got the unique scars on his face.

How did Seal get his facial scars?

His success is certainly not measured in scars, of course, as the artist remains one of the most beloved ever. And yet, fans are still curious about the facial scarring that Seal has on both cheeks. There are a whirlwind of rumors about how he got them. While a minority of fans believe the singer was scarred in a street fight, others think he was the victim of a house fire. However, none of those rumors are true. So, how exactly did Seal get the scars?

The scarring on Seal’s face is due to a common kind of lupus called discoid lupus erythematosus, which is an autoimmune skin disease. Some sufferers develop painful, inflamed, and coin-shaped skin patches on their cheeks, scalp, and ears. Other sufferers battle with notable hair loss if the skin lesions develop on the scalp.

Normally, patients are treated with topical steroids and sunscreen, but if that treatment doesn’t work, patients are prescribed an oral medication like hydroxychloroquine.

What is Seal best known for?

Seal has won a multitude of awards for his music, including three Brit Awards, four Grammy Awards, and an MTV Video Music Award. He also won two Ivor Novello Awards for Best Song Musically and Lyrically from for “Killer” in 1990 and “Crazy” in 1991. He coached singing star hopefuls on The Voice Australia in 2012 2013, and 2017.

Seal got married to beautiful German model Heidi Klum in May 2005 on a Mexican beach and are currently raising their four children together.

Klum raved about Seal as a husband and father, stating (via DigitalSpy), “When I first met Seal he had a kindness and compassion that was so sincere I knew he’d be a good father … He has infinite amounts of love and patience for our kids … He puts me and the children first.”

Unfortunately, their marriage did not last. Seal and Klum filed for divorce in 2012 and it was finalized in 2014, but they remain amicable and co-parent their four children.

While Seal remains an active songwriter, performer, and producer, he has also lately dabbled in film. His latest film project was a role in the 2022 movie Me Time.