After undergoing a series of hospitalizations due to kidney problems earlier this year, TV and movie star Nick Cannon has revealed that he has a rare form of lupus.

Cannon announced his illness on ABC News’ “Good Morning America.” The sit-down marked his first morning television interview since his hospitalization in January.

The 31-year-old was admitted to an Aspen, Colo. hospital Dec. 31 and was later transported to a Los Angeles facility where he was diagnosed with kidney failure.

Cannon was later released but returned to the hospital again in February where doctors discovered he had blood clots around his lungs and an enlarged heart. Shortly thereafter, he said he was diagnosed with lupus nephritis, an auto-immune disease.

“It’s a rare form of lupus that’s just attacking my kidneys,” Cannon said on the show. “They thought it was just kidney disease and then they were trying to figure out why my immune system was attacking my kidneys and that was sort of the root of it all.”

In February, he announced that he was stepping down from his daily radio show to get rest, under doctor’s orders. Since then, the “America’s Got Talent” star has undergone dramatic lifestyle changes.

“I have been ordered to sleep at least six hours at night,” Cannon said on the show. “They say rest is probably the best medicine. I’m dealing with it.” He added that he relies on his wife, pop star Mariah Carey, to enforce healthy eating.

According to the Lupus Research Institute (LRI), over 1.5 million Americans and millions more across the globe have lupus. Additionally, African Americans are three times more likely to contract lupus than Caucasians.

After Cannon revealed that he was suffering from the illness, the LRI released a statement extending best wishes for his recovery.

“We at the Lupus Research Institute are working hard to improve the lives of all people like Nick facing the many manifestations of lupus,” LRI Executive Director Margaret Dowd said in a statement. “The best answers will come from research, and the LRI has funded many of the decade’s most pivotal discoveries, particularly in effects of lupus on the heart and kidneys.”

“While we continue to find studies for improved diagnosis and treatments, we now have the knowledge base and technology to fund studies searching for the fundamental causes that can lead to the cure,” Dowd added.