Lil Nas X told his fans he has been hospitalised in a worrying health update on social media as he shared a photo of his partially paralysed face on Monday.
The rapper, 26, who was wearing a hospital gown and a Von Dutch baseball cap, posted a video from his bed where he explained what had been going on.
In the clip, Lil Nas was seemingly in good spirits as he laughed and revealed that he ‘lost control’ of the right side of his face.
Despite trying to laugh, the right side of his face stayed frozen and expressionless; however, he was still able to move the right side of his lips and eye.
Explaining more about his condition, the American star said: ‘This is me doing a full smile right now by the way. It’s like, what the f***? Bro, I can’t even laugh right now, bro. What the f***? Ah! Oh my God!’
Hours after the post, the Old Town Road hitmaker later showed both sides of his face and said: ‘We normal over here. We get crazy over here.’
He added: ‘I’m so cooked’, ” in the context of modern slang, this means someone is feeling extremely tired, exhausted, or struggling with a task or situation.
Partial facial paralysis
In another post, the rapper clarified to his fans that he is ‘OK’ and asked them not to worry about him.
He said: ‘Guys, I am OK!! Stop being sad for me! Shake Ur a** for me instead! (sic)’
This was followed with a selfie he took in the hospital and captioned the picture: ‘Imma look funny for a lil but but that’s it. (sic)’
Lil Nas has yet to reveal what’s caused the partial paralysis.
Partial facial paralysis can stem from various conditions affecting the facial nerve or brain areas controlling facial movement.
It comes after the rapper dropped his latest EP, Days Before Dreamboy, on March 28.
Lil Nas X opened up about his desire for this current ‘era’ to be all about embracing his authentic self.
In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, he said: ‘I wanna be myself more than ever this era. I want to be completely free out there, only doing the things that I wanna do.
‘If I do not want to do it, I’m not doing it… If I don’t want to be there, I’m not gonna be there.’
‘I think it’s more important than ever to really stand in myself and my power and recognise where I’m taking my energy and where I don’t want to take it,’ he added.
Prior to finding musical fame, Lil Nas X — born Montero Hill — was active on social media where he created memes and cultivated a following.
He landed mainstream media attention after the 2019 release of his hit Old Town Road, a genre-blending song that mixed country and trap elements. Billy Ray Cyrus also hopped on the track via a remix, leading to the record gaining more popularity.
The star publicly came out as gay that June for Pride Month.
In May 2024, the Holiday rapper got candid with The Guardian about working on his self-love and prioritizing himself.
When asked by the outlet who he most admires, he responded, ‘I have to say myself, because I know everything that he’s been through and still continues to go through. I admire him. So I vote for me – I like him.’
Later in the interview, he claimed that his vehicle, a Jeep, is his most prized possession and said he would describe himself as ‘determined, emotional and hopeful.’
Lil Nas X also shared that ‘figuring out the best way to introduce the next version of myself’ keeps him awake at night.