Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins is recovering from a sickle cell crisis that forced her off stage during TLC’s current tour.
The 56-year-old singer’s rep confirmed Wednesday that Watkins was hospitalized after the flare-up and is now “recovering and regaining her strength,” according to a statement. The medical episode caused Watkins to miss recent dates on the “It’s Iconic” tour, which features TLC alongside Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue.
Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, 55, has been covering the shows alone, addressing crowds about her bandmate’s absence. At one recent performance, Thomas told the audience, “I want to ask each and every one of you to help me hold her down tonight. Thank you in advance for your support and understanding. This is T-Boz.”
Watkins’ rep explained the decision to continue without her, noting in the statement that “the ‘It’s Iconic’ tour is such an interactive show, we made the decision to continue with Chilli performing and receiving incredible support from Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue and, most importantly, the fans.”
The statement also highlighted how audiences have responded to Watkins’ absence. “The love shown for T-Boz has been overwhelming. Hearing audiences sing her parts, lift her up in prayer and surround TLC with so much love has meant more than we can express,” it read. “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.”
This is not the first health scare to disrupt TLC’s touring schedule. In August 2024, the group canceled shows in Syracuse, New York, and at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut after Watkins experienced what their Instagram account described as “sudden and severe nausea, vomiting and intense abdominal pain” upon arriving in Syracuse. Doctors diagnosed her with a “severe abdominal blockage” and ruled out food poisoning, advising her to remain hospitalized under medical supervision.
That earlier incident spawned online speculation linking Watkins’ condition to Ozempic, the popular weight-loss drug. Watkins directly addressed the rumors in a video posted to Instagram, pushing back forcefully on the assumptions.
“Everybody and every celeb ain’t on Ozempic,” she said. “The ignorance is disheartening to me because I would just pray for people, or if I have nothing to say, I would just shut the hell up and say nothing at all. But y’all don’t know how to f–king do that.”
Watkins clarified in that same video that the abdominal blockage stemmed from “scar tissue” on her outer intestine resulting from surgery she had undergone 24 years prior. The condition forced the cancellation of two scheduled performances last summer.
Watkins has publicly battled sickle cell disease throughout her career, making her latest flare-up part of an ongoing health challenge rather than an isolated incident. The current tour, which pairs the Grammy-winning R&B group with fellow 1990s acts Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue, was designed as a high-energy collaborative show, a format that made Watkins’ participation difficult to cover in her absence.
The rep’s Wednesday statement emphasized that the interactive nature of the production shaped the decision to proceed with Thomas as the sole TLC representative on stage, backed by the tour’s other acts.
TLC has not announced rescheduled dates for the missed performances or specified when Watkins might return to the stage.
