TLC member Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins’ manager has offered an update on her health after she missed multiple tour dates with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue.
“Tionne recently experienced a sickle cell crisis that required hospitalization, and she is currently recovering and regaining her strength,” TLC rep Christal Jordan told USA Today on Wednesday, September 2.
T-Boz, 56, was absent from several TLC concert dates over the past week, leading to bandmate Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas performing the group’s songs solo. (The third original member of TLC, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, was killed in a car crash in April 2002.)
A viral video shot during TLC’s show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, featured Chilli addressing T-Boz’s absence.
“I’m going to ask each and every one of you to help me hold her down tonight,” an emotional Chilli, 55, says in the clip.
TLC’s manager subsequently praised fans for their “overwhelming” support for T-Boz in light of her recent health problem.
“Hearing audiences sing her parts, lift her up in prayer, and surround TLC with so much love has meant more than we can express,” Jordan said. “Sickle cell is a serious illness, so we ask everyone to please keep the prayers coming as Tionne continues to recover. We are immensely grateful for the love and support.
T-Boz was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia as a child. Pet the Mayo Clinic, sickle cell anemia impacts the shape of red blood cells as they carry oxygen to the rest of the body.
“When you have sickle cell, your red blood cells get stuck on their way around your veins, causing blockages and stopping the oxygen from getting to your vital organs,” the singer wrote in her 2017 memoir, A Sick Life. “Where there’s a lack of oxygen, you can go into a crisis, an attack of severe pain, sometimes located only in a certain spot and sometimes all over your body. Often, it’s hard to breathe or walk or even do something as basic as holding a pen. A crisis can happen without any warning. Just, bam! You’re in the hospital again.”
Prior to this latest health scare, TLC cancelled a show at the New York State Fair in Syracuse in August 2024 around 30 minutes before it was supposed to begin.
“Shortly after arriving in Syracuse, Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins experienced sudden and severe nausea, vomiting and intense abdominal cramps,” a statement from the group read. “She was immediately seen by a doctor and subsequently taken to the hospital for further evaluation.”
T-Boz offered an update on her condition when doctors later diagnosed her with a “severe abdominal blockage.”
“I’m on The Mend!!! This Was Just One Of Those Unexpected Things That I Had No Control Over,” she wrote via Instagram on August 24, 2024. “I Look Forward To Making It Up 2 You All … And Hopefully I’ll Get Out Of The Hospital Soon!!! As Soon As Tomorrow If All Goes Well!!! Thank You For Understanding… Blessings Always, T.”
TLC’s It’s Iconic Tour with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue is currently set to wrap up on October 11, 2026, in Concord, California.
