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Ray J hit the stage in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Valentine’s Day night wearing what fans believe was a real heart monitor.
The 45-year-old singer performed with a visible medical device attached to his chest just weeks after revealing his heart is only functioning at 25%.
Fans at the Louisiana venue watched as the “One Wish” singer delivered his set with the monitoring equipment clearly visible. Video footage from the show captured what appeared to be blood running down Ray J’s face and chest during the performance.
The R&B star was hospitalized in Las Vegas earlier this month with severe pneumonia and heart complications. He told fans on Instagram his heart was “only beating like 25%” and doctors warned him about his limited time.
“I want to thank everybody for praying for me. I was in a hospital. My heart’s only beating like 25%, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, everything will be alright,” Ray J said in his social media update.
The Shreveport performance and posted commentary about the singer’s condition. The video shows Ray J interacting with the crowd while wearing the chest device.
Medical experts say Ray J may be dealing with a severely reduced ejection fraction. The Cleveland Clinic defines this as occurring when the heart pumps less than 30% of its blood volume with each beat.
Normal heart function ranges between 50% and 70%.
The “Sexy Can I” singer contracted pneumonia for the second time in four years. His 2021 battle with the condition happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This recent hospitalization came after multiple legal troubles, including a Thanksgiving arrest.
Ray J attributed his heart problems to excessive drinking and drug use during his Instagram Live sessions. He thanked his sister Brandy for covering his bills “for the rest of the year” while he focuses on recovery.
While Brandy’s generosity will help with his medical bills, the singer is still facing legal battles with Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner over defamation claims and a lawsuit filed against him over an unpaid AMEX account.
