Brandy’s younger brother, Ray J, just shared a heartbreaking update about his health. The 45-year-old singer and songwriter updated his fans in a video shared to social media on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. Appearing visibly weakened, he delivered a frightening prognosis: “2027 is definitely a wrap for me. That’s what the doctor said.”
The “Sexy Can I” was hospitalized earlier this month in Las Vegas for severe pneumonia which severely damaged his heart.
“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 said in a January 25 Instagram video. “My health is not OK, so I thank everybody for supporting and praying for me through everything I’ve been in the hospital.” During the separate, more alarming stream on January 27, he went further, claiming doctors told him he had as little as three weeks left to live.
© Getty ImagesThe support and prayers are surely coming from his big sister. While the 46-year-old Moesha actress hasn’t released a formal statement, Ray J revealed that Brandy has been a constant source of strength behind the scenes. In his recent videos, he expressed deep gratitude for his sister, revealing that Brandy has even paid his bills for the rest of the year so he can focus entirely on his medical checkups and recovery.
Ray J’s recent pneumonia diagnosis wasn’t his first. In 2021, the singer was treated for the lung infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, he told TMZ: “I thought it was over. I started praying and knew God is good, so I just kept praying.” This time, however, the singer admitted that past lifestyle choices, including “partying too hard,” likely contributed to his current heart condition.
© Getty ImagesBrandy and Ray J’s strained bond
The singers were born to Willie Norwood and Sonja Bates-Norwood in McComb, Mississippi. Ray J, who was born William Ray Norwood Jr., was creative from a young age, starring in commercials and television shows before he was even 10.
In 1983, the family relocated to Los Angeles where both Ray J and Brandy’s careers blossomed. The two both started making music, with Ray J’s debut album, Everything You Want, gaining traction on the charts.
In 2001, the siblings collaborated on a cover of Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise.” They’ve also performed together on tour and for the Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business reality show soundtrack.
© Getty ImagesBut recently, Ray J opened up about his strained bond with his big sister. “I love my sister, but I’m an embarrassment to them,” he said during an appearance on the Drop the Lo podcast.
Despite these feelings of distance, the current health crisis seems to have pulled the family back together, with Ray J noting his parents were accompanying him to critical medical appointments this week.
Ray J’s family
In 2016, Ray J married Princess Love after meeting through the boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. The couple shared their relationship on VH1’s Love & Hop Hop: Hollywood. Two years after marrying, they welcomed their daughter Melody Love. In 2020, Princess gave birth to their son, Epik Ray.
© Getty ImagesRay J and Princess are not currently living together, although they are technically still married. In February 2024, she filed for divorce from the singer for the fourth time. In his recent health updates, Ray J emphasized that his primary focus now is ensuring his family is taken care of. “My baby mama gon’ be straight, my kids gon’ be straight… I did my part here,” he told viewers during his January 27 stream.
