Kelly Piquet’s Health Deteriorated After Getting COVID-19 — Here’s How She’s Doing Now

A quick scroll through Brazilian model Kelly Piquet’s Instagram page yields photos of a happy, healthy mom of two living her best life — including spending lazy Sundays on a boat (something most people can only dream of). It’s no surprise, though, considering her successful career and the fact that her partner is four-time world champion and Formula One driver Max Verstappen.

The couple welcomed their first child together (her second), a daughter named Lily, in mid-2025, according to Kelly’s May 2 Instagram post. And while her pre-birth pregnancy photos make it look like everything may have gone smoothly, not all has been easy when it comes to Kelly’s health.

In fact, she’s faced her fair share of health struggles over the years, many of which appear to stem from a serious bout with COVID-19 in 2022. Here’s everything to know about Kelly’s health.

Kelly Piquet has been pretty open about her health struggles over the years, most of which seem to have started after she contracted COVID-19 in 2022. She struggled with illness every few weeks, and her long-standing anemia worsened. And although she seems to be doing much better now, it took a dedicated healing journey to get there.

"In the beginning of 2022, I got COVID-19, and after that, my health, during that year, completely plummeted. I was ill every six weeks and would never fully recover. Also, my anemia, which I had since a teenager, got even worse, which then heavily affected my hair loss," Kelly wrote in a March 2025 Instagram Story, per Sportskeeda.

She continued, "Around September 2022, I decided to work with @lifeasJane. And she completely transformed me and taught me so much about health and well-being."

Although she sought help in 2022, it wasn’t until 2023 that Kelly said she "felt like I was back to myself," adding, "Healing takes time and dedication. No quick fixes."

In an October 2022 Instagram post, the same year Kelly says she experienced significant strain on her health, she briefly opened up about her hair struggles, writing, "This was definitely a good hair day. My hair health has been quite up and down." She then asked her followers and fans, "What are your pro tips for bouncing back?"

It seems Kelly did a great job keeping her struggles under the radar, or at least away from the public eye on social media, because none of the photos she shared at the time suggested she was dealing with hair loss or other health issues. Then again, many people use social media to highlight only the positives in life, leaving the more difficult moments behind closed doors.

Although Kelly has kept her health issues at bay — and by that, we mean out of her photos — anyone can attest that even the slightest change in our body’s functionality or a decline in performance (like growing long, luscious hair) can impact our overall mood and outlook. But over the years, Kelly seems to have maintained an optimistic one.