The real reason Bono always wears sunglasses


Bono never seems to go anywhere without wearing his signature shades. Yet all this time, there was a specific, medical reason for this — one he finally told the public during a taping of BBC One's Graham Norton Show. When asked if he ever removes his shades, the U2 frontman responded:
"This is a good place to explain to people that I've had glaucoma for the last 20 years. I have good treatments and am going to be fine."
Glaucoma is a condition in which pressure on the eyeball can cause damage to the optic nerve, sometimes resulting in blindness if not properly treated. Those who suffer from the disease are often sensitive to light, and wear dark glasses to alleviate their symptoms.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Given how many decades U2 has spent in the spotlight, it's quite a surprise that Bono's glaucoma has never come up before. But at least he's making light of breaking the news, adding: "You're not going to get this out of your head now, and you will be saying 'Ah, poor old blind Bono'."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
-
George Floyd: Did Black Lives Matter fail?
Feature The momentum for change fades as the Black Lives Matter Plaza is scrubbed clean
-
National debt: Why Congress no longer cares
Feature Rising interest rates, tariffs and Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill could sent the national debt soaring
-
Why are military experts so interested in Ukraine's drone attack?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The Zelenskyy government's massive surprise assault on Russian airfields was a decisive tactical victory — could it also be the start of a new era in autonomous warfare?
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read