This weekend, Ray J appeared at an “Intimate Valentine’s Day Concert” in Shreveport that left fans worrying about his health.  The R&B singer performed with what looked like blood trailing from one eye and a medical patch visible on his chest, sparking concern for concert viewers and later for those who saw videos and images from the show. 

Video clips show the performer handing out roses and, at one point, a red-colored streak running down his cheek from the corner of an eye. He briefly unzips his stage outfit, exposing a dressing or patch on the upper left side of his chest that some viewers suggested could be covering a monitor or other medical device. 

Fans immediately took to social platforms to ask whether the red streak was real blood, a stage effect, or prosthetic makeup, and to express alarm given the singer’s recent health updates in which Ray J said he had been hospitalized for pneumonia and heart pain in January and that doctors had told him his heart was functioning at a reduced capacity. He added that medics warned he may only have months to live unless a major intervention helps, a prognosis he described bluntly in video updates.

Medical sources reporting on his case say he’s been prescribed an aggressive regimen — Ray J says doctors put him on eight different medications, including heart-failure drugs like Entresto and Jardiance, and a cholesterol medication such as Lipitor — and that surgeons have discussed the possibility of a pacemaker or defibrillator, with a follow-up appointment scheduled to make a final call.  

Ray J has been public about how his past substance use factored into this moment. “I thought I was so big so I could handle all the alcohol, I could handle all the Adderall, the drugs… but I couldn’t. It curved my time,” he said on a livestream, reflecting on years he now believes damaged his heart. He also told followers that a court order currently limits his access to his children, a reality he says has pushed him to change course. 

And now, with this latest scare (blood coming from his eyes and a visible medical device on his chest) at the Valentine’s Day concert, fans are wondering what is going on with Ray J’s health?

Medical experts note that blood-tinged tears are a rare phenomenon called haemolacria (or hemolacria), and this condition can be caused by several different issues, from eye infection or injury to a reverse flow from a nosebleed, blood-thinning medications, or other underlying medical conditions. Short video clips like the ones surfacing of Ray J can’t confirm a cause.

In late January, Ray J posted videos saying he felt “great” after a doctor visit, and his manager said the physician “did miracles,” even as other clips and interviews conveyed the seriousness of his condition and the possible timeline he was given by clinicians. For now, he said he’s trying to get sober, to stay the “straight and narrow,” and even mentioned exploring alternative treatments abroad — including travel to Haiti — as he searches for options.