Ray J has recently been dealing with health concerns, but some observers are questioning whether his condition is as serious as he has suggested.
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The singer is now facing allegations that he used fake blood during a recent performance.
Footage obtained by KTAL 6 appears to show Ray J applying a substance to his face during his Feb. 14 show at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The 45-year-old “One Wish” performer drew attention for taking the stage on Valentine’s Day with what looked like blood around his eyes and a bloodied chest monitor. Event photographer Tommy Nard II shared a video with the outlet showing Ray J lying down in an orange outfit and placing what he described as “fake blood” beneath his eyes.
“He loves the camera. He loves the attention. Anybody that knows him, it’s all theatrical,” Nard II said of the artist.
He also recalled feeling puzzled when he first noticed what was happening behind the scenes, saying, “I’m behind the scenes, like, ‘What are you doing?’ ”
“I seen him literally put on the fake blood and things like that, and go out there with the crowd, which is very shocking that he’d do something like that,” he added.
Representatives for Ray J and the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Previously, Ray J’s manager, Melinda Santiago, addressed his health in a statement to PEOPLE, saying, “We all know that Ray J has been under the weather, but all my artists that work with me gotta do their job whether they are bleeding or not.”
Ahead of the concert, the singer—born William Raymond Norwood Jr.—posted a video on Facebook and wrote in the caption, “I’m putting my life on the line for this show!!”
The performance took place shortly after Ray J publicly claimed that doctors had given him only months to live.
In January, he discussed his health struggles in an Instagram video. “I want to thank everybody for praying for me. I was in a hospital,” he said. “My heart’s only beating like 25 percent, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, everything will be all right.”
That same month, he made further claims during an Instagram Live session that was later shared on X. “2027 is definitely a wrap for me,” he said, alleging that doctors told him he would not live much longer and that his heart had turned “black” as a result of alcohol and drug abuse.
TMZ previously reported that Ray J was hospitalized in Las Vegas on Jan. 7 for severe pneumonia and heart pain. He had also been admitted for pneumonia in 2021.
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