Ray J Says Doctors Warned He May Have Months to Live After Heart and Pneumonia Hospitalization

Ray J has shared troubling updates about his health after being hospitalized with heart problems and pneumonia earlier this month.

The R&B singer, whose real name is William Raymond Norwood Jr., alarmed fans during a January 2026 Instagram Live when he said his health was “not okay” and suggested that doctors had told him he may only have months to live. The livestream was later reposted on X and followed reports from TMZ that Ray J had been hospitalized in Las Vegas.

In a separate Instagram video posted on Jan. 25, Ray J struck a more hopeful tone, telling fans that “everything will be all right” as long as he stays “on the right path.” However, days later, he told TMZ that he was bedridden, taking eight different medications, and might need a pacemaker or a defibrillator.

According to TMZ, Ray J was admitted to a Las Vegas hospital on Jan. 6 after experiencing heart pain and a severe case of pneumonia. While hospitalized, he reportedly underwent X-rays and an echocardiogram. In a video shared after his release, Ray J said his heart was functioning at only about 25 percent.

“I want to thank everybody for praying for me,” he said in the video. “My health is not okay, so I thank everybody for supporting and praying for me.”

During his Instagram Live, the Love & Hip Hop star spoke openly about years of heavy drinking and substance use, which he said severely damaged his heart. He claimed he was drinking four to five bottles of alcohol a day and taking large amounts of Adderall at the height of his addiction.

“I thought I was indestructible,” Ray J said, adding that he now believes those choices “curbed my time here.”

This is not the first time the singer has faced serious health issues. In October 2021, he was hospitalized in Miami with non-contagious pneumonia. At the time, his manager said Ray J had overworked himself, and the singer later thanked fans for their prayers while confirming he had tested negative for COVID-19.

Despite the seriousness of his current condition, Ray J has said he has not lost hope. He told fans and TMZ that he plans to focus on rest, avoid alcohol and smoking, and follow his doctors’ instructions. He has also mentioned traveling to Haiti, claiming he believes the country holds alternative treatments for heart disease.

“As long as I stay focused and stay on the right path,” Ray J told fans, “everything will be all right.”