Ray J's Heart Operating at Quarter Capacity Following Life-Threatening Medical Crisis
The music industry has been rocked by concerning health revelations from singer Ray J, who has disclosed that his heart is currently functioning at just twenty-five percent capacity. This alarming update comes after the artist endured what he describes as a near-fatal medical emergency that required urgent hospitalisation in Las Vegas.
"Just Almost Died": Singer's Harrowing Hospital Ordeal
Earlier this month, the forty-five-year-old performer, whose real name is William Ray Norwood Jr., was rushed to a Las Vegas emergency department after experiencing severe chest pains alongside a critical case of pneumonia. In a candid Instagram update shared after returning home, Ray J told his followers: "My heart's only beating twenty-five percent, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, everything will be all right."
The "One Wish" singer did not mince words about the gravity of his situation, captioning his social media post with the stark admission: "Just almost died!! I'm alive because of your prayers." He elaborated further, stating: "My health is not OK, so I thank everybody for supporting and praying for me through everything I've been in the hospital."
Family Support and Previous Health Battles
During his recovery, Ray J expressed profound gratitude toward several key supporters who helped him through this medical crisis. He specifically thanked his older sister, the renowned R&B vocalist Brandy, alongside Love Cabin castmate Shila Hasanoff, whom he described as "sitting in the hospital, just watching me be sick." The singer emotionally acknowledged: "There's a few people that's helped me kind of survive this."
This is not the first time the artist has confronted serious health challenges related to pneumonia. Back in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ray J required treatment for the same lung infection. He recounted to media outlet TMZ at the time that he shared a hospital wing with coronavirus patients despite testing negative himself, stating: "I thought it was over. I started praying and knew God is good, so I just kept praying."
Health Struggles Amid Personal Turmoil
The singer's current health crisis unfolds against a backdrop of significant personal upheaval. Ray J is navigating an ongoing divorce from his on-again, off-again ex-wife, Princess Love, with whom he shares two young children: seven-year-old daughter Melody and six-year-old son Epik. The couple originally married in 2016 but have since filed for divorce on four separate occasions, most recently in February 2024.
Legal Entanglements with the Kardashian-Jenner Family
Ray J's name remains inextricably linked to reality television star Kim Kardashian, whom he dated for approximately three years during the early 2000s. Their relationship gained notoriety in 2007 when a private sex tape featuring the couple was leaked publicly online.
In a significant legal development from October last year, Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner initiated defamation proceedings against Ray J. This followed comments the singer made suggesting that racketeering charges against the famous family "would be appropriate" within a documentary context concerning Sean "Diddy" Combs.
The musician responded by filing a countersuit, alleging that Kardashian and Jenner have "spent two decades peddling the false story that the sex tape... was leaked against her will." Ray J contends their lawsuit stems from anger that he "no longer wants to play along with their tall tale."
Central to his legal argument is a claim that he entered into a formal agreement with Kardashian and Jenner to prevent any mention of the sex tape on their reality programme The Kardashians. Ray J asserts this agreement was violated, entitling him to one million dollars in damages.
Representing Kardashian and Jenner, attorney Alex Spiro offered a firm rebuttal to TMZ, characterising Ray J's legal action as "this disjointed rambling distraction" and predicting: "Ray J will lose this frivolous case too."
As Ray J focuses on his precarious recovery with a heart operating at severely reduced capacity, his medical journey continues to intersect with complex personal narratives and high-profile legal disputes that show no signs of abating.
