Shania Twain: Lyme Disease, Divorce, Surgery & Comeback Story

Few artists have turned personal crises into chart-topping anthems quite like Shania Twain. Through Lyme disease, a life-altering divorce, and a surgery that threatened her voice, she kept writing hits. Here’s the full, fact-checked story of how Canada’s biggest country star rebuilt her career—and her life.

Records sold worldwide: 100 million ·
Number-one hits on US Country Airplay: 14 ·
Lyme disease diagnosis year: 2003 ·
Open-throat surgery year: 2018

Seven key facts about Shania Twain, from her birth name to her current marital status.

What is Shania Twain diagnosed with?

Lyme disease diagnosis and symptoms

Shania Twain was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2003 after a tick bite she received during a horseback ride, as she recounted on Good Morning America (morning news show). The infection caused dysphonia and weakened her vocal cords, according to Hartford HealthCare (regional medical system). For years, doctors struggled to connect her voice problems to the tick‑borne illness, a delay she described as “scary.”

How Lyme disease affected her voice

The nerve damage from Lyme disease led to vocal cord paresis, making her voice “never the same again,” as Hartford HealthCare (regional medical system) quoted her. In her Netflix documentary Not Just a Girl, she said she feared she would never sing again. Vanity Fair (culture magazine) reported that she described a 20‑year battle that included blackouts on stage.

Open-throat surgery after vocal cord damage

In 2018, Twain underwent open‑throat surgery — a laryngoplasty — during which surgeons implanted Gore‑Tex stabilizers to reduce strain on her vocal muscles, per Wikipedia (biographical reference). She told Billboard she was “petrified to sing in front of anyone” after the procedure: “My voice felt like a stranger.”

Why did Shania Twain’s husband leave her?

Mutt Lange’s affair with Marie‑Anne Thiebaud

After 14 years of marriage and a legendary partnership producing her biggest albums, Robert “Mutt” Lange had an affair with Marie‑Anne Thiebaud — a close friend of Twain’s. The relationship was revealed in 2008, according to Vanity Fair (culture magazine). The divorce was finalized in 2010 after 17 years of marriage.

The emotional aftermath and divorce

Twain has said the betrayal compounded her health struggles, creating a “double trauma” that nearly ended her career. In her documentary, she linked the emotional crisis directly to her vocal difficulties, as reported by Vanity Fair (culture magazine).

Shania’s second‑chance love with Frederic Thiebaud

In an unexpected twist, Twain later married Frederic Thiebaud — Marie‑Anne’s ex‑husband — in 2011. The couple have been together ever since, and Twain has said the relationship rebuilt her trust in love.

The pattern: for Twain, romantic pain and vocal pain have never been separate. Losing her husband and her voice at nearly the same time forced a reinvention that most artists never attempt.

How many biological children does Shania Twain have?

Shania’s only child: son Eja Lange

Twain has one biological son, Eja D’Angelo Lange, born on August 12, 2001, during her marriage to Mutt Lange.

What happened to Eja?

Eja was raised largely outside the media spotlight. Twain told People Magazine (celebrity news outlet) that he “has no interest in the spotlight and is studying environmental science.” He has not pursued music professionally.

Eja’s life out of the spotlight

As of 2025, Eja Lange works in conservation and lives a private life in Canada. Twain has said she respects his desire to stay out of the public eye and that she is proud of his commitment to environmental work.

What did Brad Pitt say about Shania Twain’s song?

Brad Pitt’s public compliment on ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’

In the late 1990s, Brad Pitt publicly praised Twain’s hit “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” telling an interviewer he loved the song. Some fans interpreted the lyrics (“Okay, so you’re a rocket scientist… that don’t impress me much”) as a dig at Pitt, but he took it as a compliment.

The rumor of a beef

Rumors of a feud circulated for years, but Twain denied any beef. In a 2022 interview with The Independent (UK newspaper), she said Pitt had told her he loved the song and had no issue with it.

Shania’s response to the Brad Pitt connection

Twain has said she is flattered by Pitt’s appreciation and that the song was never aimed at him personally. The “beef” is entirely a product of media speculation.

The catch: a casual compliment from one A‑lister to another was inflated into a decade‑long internet myth. It’s a case study in how pop culture creates narratives that the actual participants don’t endorse.

Shania Twain’s career milestones and net worth

Best‑selling female country artist of all time

Twain has sold over 100 million records globally, making her the best‑selling female country artist of all time, according to Wikipedia (biographical reference). Her album Come On Over (1997) is the best‑selling studio album by a female act in any genre, with more than 40 million copies sold.

Key albums

Her breakthrough came with The Woman in Me (1995), which sold 20 million copies. Come On Over followed, spawning hits like “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Up! (2002) also sold 20 million units.

Net worth and business ventures

Forbes estimates her net worth at $400 million, derived from album sales, touring, and endorsement deals. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022, and her 2023 album Queen of Me debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200.

The implication: Twain’s financial success allows her to make music on her own terms, without the pressure to chase radio hits. Her 2023 tour, the Queen of Me Tour, grossed over $100 million.

Shania Twain’s story is one of resilience, not just survival. For fans waiting for new music, the path forward is clear: her health and family remain the priority, and any next album will come on her own terms — or not at all.