Natalie Cole Hepatitis C

Natalie Cole is battling hepatitis C, and tonight she will do her first interview since being diagnosed. The Grammy Award winning superstar sat down with Paula Abdul and opened up about hepatitis C and how it is affecting her.Natalie reveals that she most likely contracted the disease from her drug use in the 80’s. She says,“In 1980-1982, I was doing heroin. The first day that ‘This Will Be’ came out on the radio I was on my way to get heroin. This is a virus that was dormant in my body for 25 years. I had no symptoms, was feeling great, working out like a crazy person — and this just keeled me over, like a feather.”

Natalie kicked her drug habit long ago but now her health is paying the price. Although the disease is treatable, it is still taking a massive toll on the singer. She has lost a ton of weight, and is expected to lose her hair as a result of the chemo treatments. Instead she opted to cut her hair herself to speed up the inevitable. But she maintains a positive outlook, and has friends and family uplifting her spirits with their support.“I now tell people I’m runway size. I always wanted to be for 20 years; I’ve been waiting.”She just released a new album “Still Unforgettable”, which hits stores and online retailers today. Her interview with Paula Abdul will air this evening on ET.