Ray J Reveals He 'Almost Died' After Recent Battle With Pneumonia

Singer-songwriter Ray J, born William Ray Norwood Jr., is sharing with the public his concerns about a recent medical scare. He was just hospitalized for pneumonia and is updating his followers about the status of his health.

Ray J also took the time to thank his supporters, as well as his family, including his sister, R&B singer Brandy, for their support during the difficult time.

A few days ago, Ray J took to Instagram to share what has been happening to him in regard to his health. The 45-year-old singer thanked his followers for praying for him.

Ray J continued, "My heart's only beating 25 percent, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, everything will be all right."

He also mentioned his sister Brandy and Shila Hasanoff, a cast member of the Ray J-hosted show "Love Cabin," who he said was "sitting in the f-cking hospital, just watching me be sick."

He captioned the post, "Just almost died!! I'm alive because of your prayers and support."

On January 6, Ray J was reportedly rushed to a hospital in Las Vegas after complaining of heart pain. According to TMZ, he underwent an echocardiogram and had X-rays done to figure out the cause of his condition.

The outlet then said that he suffered from a "severe case of pneumonia," which Ray J confirmed on his Instagram update. This isn't the first time he contracted pneumonia, as he was also hospitalized a few years ago for the same infection.

In 2021, Ray J was also admitted to the hospital for what doctors initially thought was COVID. However, his test results came back negative, and he was diagnosed with pneumonia. According to reports, the singer had to be on oxygen at that time to aid his breathing. Thankfully, his condition stabilized, and he was discharged after a few days.

A couple of days after his first health update, Ray J went live on Instagram to talk about his condition. He began the session by saying, "2027 is definitely a wrap for me. That's what they say." An unidentified friend who was in the background can be heard saying, "F-ck the doctor."

He continued, "I shouldn't have went this hard, bro. My baby mama gonna be straight, my kids gonna be straight. If they wanna spend all the money, they can spend it. I did my part here. And d-mn, when it's all done, burn me, don't bury me."

Ray J thanked his mom and dad, saying that they were going to pick him up the following day to take him to his check-up. He also expressed his gratitude to Brandy, whom he said took care of and will take care of all his bills for the year.

Ray Jay and his estranged wife, Princess Love, tied the knot in 2016 and share two children together: Melody Love, born in 2018, and Epik Ray, born in 2020. As reported by People, the couple filed for divorce and dismissed their filings multiple times in the past several years, beginning in 2020.

On Thanksgiving Day last year, Ray J was arrested after he allegedly threatened his wife with a deadly weapon in their home. He was charged with six offences, including child endangerment, use of force, and brandishing a firearm, according to Fox LA.

Princess Love released a statement shortly after her husband's arrest, saying, "I've been doing a really great job of protecting my peace and staying off of social media and just going to work and taking care of my kids. I would never do anything to put them in danger, including leaving them with a man who's waving a gun around."

In December 2025, American Express sued Ray J and his streaming network, Tronix, for unpaid credit card debt that reportedly amounted to more than $130,000.

The financial services corporation claimed that the singer stopped paying his credit card bills in May and still owed the said amount, per Black Enterprise.

With health struggles, a tumultuous relationship, and a legal battle, Ray J appears to be facing one of the most difficult periods of his life. It remains unclear how these issues may impact the singer moving forward.