Singer Ray J posts grim health update, says heart ‘only beating like 25%’

The R&B singer provided a somber update about his future on social media.
Ray J: The singer and TV reality show star provided a somber update about his future on social media. (Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

R&B singer Ray J posted grim updates about his health in videos he shared on social media over the weekend, noting that his heart “is only beating like 25%” after he was hospitalized for severe pneumonia this month.

The singer revealed he suffered from a severe case of heart failure after coming down with pneumonia, Variety reported.

“Just almost died!! I’m alive because of your prayers and support!!” the 45-year-old singer wrote in an Instagram post on Jan. 25.

“I wanna thank everyone for praying for me. I was in the hospital,” Ray J said in a video featured with the post. “My heart is only beating like 25%, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, then everything will be all right, so thank you for all your prayers.”

The “One Wish” singer revealed he suffered from a severe case of heart failure after coming down with pneumonia, Variety reported.

Born William Ray Norwood Jr., Ray J rose to fame in the late 1990s with the single “One Wish.” He also appeared on several reality television shows , including “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” (2014) and “For the Love of Ray J” (2009).

Ray J revealed a more sobering forecast on clips that were posted on the Instagram page of Livebitez, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In one video posted on Tuesday, the singer said that “2027 is definitely a wrap for me,” according to the newspaper.

“No, don’t say that, brother,” someone can be heard off camera.

“That’s what the doctor says,” Ray J stated, according to the Times.

He later attributed his heart’s condition to excessive drinking and drug use, USA Today reported. He thanked his parents, whom he said were taking him to an appointment, and his sister Brandy for paying his bills “for the rest of the year.”

On Jan. 7, TMZ reported that the “Sexy Can I” singer was admitted to a hospital in Las Vegas for severe pneumonia and heart pain. It was the second time in four years he had contracted those issues, according to USA Today. He came down with pneumonia in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the newspaper reported.

Ray J has had his share of controversy, including the 2007 release of his sex tape with Kim Kardashian, whom he was dating at the time. In November 2025, he was arrested after allegedly pointing a gun at his ex-wife, Variety reported. He was charged with making a criminal threat, according to the entertainment website.

Ray J is also being sued for defamation by Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, USA Today reported. According to the complaint, Ray J compared the couple’s sex tape to the Sean “Diddy” Combs RICO case.

“It don’t matter if my days are counted,” Ray J said in another video clip. “But guess what — my baby mama gonna be straight. My kids are gonna be straight. If they want to spend all the money they can spend it, but I did my part here.

“I shouldn’t have went this hard, bro. I shouldn’t have went hard. And then, when it’s all done, burn me, don’t bury me.”

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