Ray J’s mother, Sonja Norwood, has addressed the singer’s recent health issues.
On Tuesday (March 3), Norwood took to social media to clear up some misconceptions surrounding her son’s recent hospitalization, explaining that Ray J’s very public heart problems aren’t a “hoax.”
“It's just really gotten out of hand when someone thinks that my son is faking his health, or it's a hoax, or he's just playing around, [and] he's not really serious about it,” Norwood explained. “All of you who have been genuinely concerned about him and genuinely prayed for him, I want to say I thank you very much for that, because it takes multiple prayers and thoughts for things to change.”
She shared that in January, Ray was hospitalized for pneumonia and heart pains. After suffering from “severe chest pain,” doctors conducted more tests and diagnosed the 45-year-old with cardiomyopathy. With this condition, the heart has difficulty pumping blood to the body.
Norwood called this type of heart disease “life-threatening” and said that in order to get better, he has to “rest” and now has “new limitations” on his career and personal life.
She ended her message by reiterating that Ray J’s health issues are not a “hoax,” but that he’s “trying to adjust to a condition that he has.”
Reports first emerged in early January that Ray was in a Las Vegas hospital for pneumonia and heart pains, though more wasn’t known about his situation at the time. In late January, he provided an update, revealing that he was on multiple medications for heart problems.
He explained that he might need a pacemaker or defibrillator, and that he’s not allowed to smoke or drink. “If I come out of this, I’ll be stronger and a better person,” he told TMZ at the time.
Questions about the veracity of the health scare began last month, when a photographer claimed that Ray J crying bloody tears during a recent concert — something many audience members assumed was connected to his heart condition — was a hoax. At that same show, the singer claimed his heart monitor (visible to the crowd when he removed his shirt during the show) was stolen.
Ray J previously suffered from pneumonia in 2021, which he said was serious enough that it could have been fatal. He also told fans in a recent stream that he “almost died” following his early January hospitalization, adding, “2027 is definitely a wrap for me.”