The R&B singer said that &34;everything will be alright&34; as long as he remains &34;focused and stay[s] on the right path.&34; Ray J says he has only a short time left to live after hospitalization: 'My heart is only beating, like, 25 percent' The R&B singer said that &34;everything will be alright&34; as long as he remains &34;focused and stay[s] on the right path.&34; By Emlyn Travis :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/EmlynTravisauthorphotocba6765b433b4f93b9398d18053153b1.jpg) Emlyn Travis is a news writer at . She has been working at EW since 2022.
The R&B singer said that "everything will be alright" as long as he remains "focused and stay[s] on the right path."
Ray J says he has only a short time left to live after hospitalization: 'My heart is only beating, like, 25 percent'
The R&B singer said that "everything will be alright" as long as he remains "focused and stay[s] on the right path."
By Emlyn Travis
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Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and *NME*.
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January 28, 2026 1:15 p.m. ET
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Ray J in 2023. Credit:
Leon Bennett/Getty
Ray J says he only has a short time to live after recently being hospitalized for pneumonia.
Earlier this month, TMZ reported that the singer was rushed to a Las Vegas hospital on Jan. 6 in order to receive treatment for pneumonia and heart pains. The "Sexy Can I" singer, 45, revealed in a Jan. 25 Instagram post that he "almost died," but made it through thanks to "prayers and support" from his fans and loved ones. **
"I was in the hospital. My heart's only beating, like, 25 percent, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, everything will be alright," Ray J said. "So thank you for all your prayers."
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Ray J in October 2025.
Maury Phillips/Getty
He later acknowledged that his heath is still "not okay," but that he was grateful for everyone who rallied behind him during this difficult time. "Thank you to my mom, [sister] Brandy, and my dad, and everybody for helping me through," he said.**
In a separate livestream later reposted on social media, Ray J told viewers that he was informed by his medical team that he only has a few months left to live. "2027 is definitely a wrap for me," he said in the clip. When a friend denied his claim, Ray J replied, "That's what the doctor said!"
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Pointing to his chest, the reality* *star went on to explain that he "f---ed my heart up on the right side, right here," adding, "It's, like, black. It's like gun." **
He continued, "I f---ed up. You know why? ... Because I think I thought I had more weight. I thought I was a big [shot], so I could handle all the alcohol. I could handle all the Adderall. I could handle all the drugs, but I couldn't. And it curbed my time here." **
At the height of his drug and alcohol usage, Ray J said that he was drinking "four or five bottles a day" and taking "10 Addies" at a time. "I'm like, 'Ain't nothing happening to me? F--- it. I'm indestructible,'" he remarked. "Joke's on me. Take care of yourselves, y'all."
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In a third clip, Ray J stated that it didn't "matter if my days are counted" because he made sure that his estranged ex-wife Princess Love and their two children would be taken care of after his death. "My baby mama gon' be straight, my kids gon' be straight," he said. "If they want to spend all the money, they can spend it, but I did my part here."**
Still, he confessed, "I shouldn't have went this hard, bro. I shouldn't have went that hard. And then, when it's all done, burn me, don't bury me."
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Bennett Raglin/Getty
He noted in the clip that his health was still in "serious" condition and that he was scheduled to attend another doctor's appointment the following day.**
"My mamma and my daddy coming to pick me up tomorrow and they're gonna take me to the check-up," he said. "Shout out to my mom and daddy and shout out to Brandy for looking out for me. She paid my bills for me for the rest of the year."
This isn't the first time that Ray J has been hospitalized for pneumonia. TMZ previously reported that he sought medical treatment for the illness during the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2021.
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Source: "EW Celebrity"
Source: Celebrity
Published: January 29, 2026 at 01:01AM on Source: PRIME TIME
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