Rapper and musician Lil Nas X has revealed he is suffering from a sudden partial paralysis of the face.
Posting to Instagram from hospital, the star told his 10.4 million followers that he has “lost control” of the right-hand side of his face.
“This is me doing a full smile right now, by the way,” he said in a video, as he unsuccessfully tried to grin. “Bro, I can’t even laugh right.”
In a follow-up post, Lil Nas X reassured fans that he was “OK” and asked them to “stop being sad. Shake ur ass for me instead!” he joked.
In a third post, he wrote: “I’mma look funny for a lil bit but that’s it.”
In the comments section, his fans and celebrity friends expressed their concern.
“Get well baby,” said actress Taraji P Henson. “Sending you love,” wrote Garbage singer Shirley Manson.
Comedian Wanda Sykes added: “Sometimes your body tells you to sit down somewhere. Rest up.”
The 26-year-old, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, appeared to be in good spirits, despite his condition.
In one video, he panned the camera from the left side of his face to the right, joking: “We normal over here, we get crazy over here!”
The star did not disclose the cause of his condition, but fans speculated it could be Bell’s Palsy, a nerve condition that causes paralysis to part of the face, or Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, in which a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near the ear, and cause hearing issues such as tinnitus.
Both conditions are usually temporary, and can be triggered by infections or stress.
Justin Bieber cancelled several dates on his 2022 world tour after contracting Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.
In a video, he showed fans that he was unable to blink his right eye and, although the symptoms persisted for some time, he recovered fully.
Musician and TV presenter Tulisa Contostavlos also has recurring instances of Bell’s Palsy, which developed after she suffered nerve damage in a horse riding accident.
Speaking in 2020, she said that an attack could last up to seven months if she didn’t take steroids within the first 72 hours.
Before his hospital visit, Lil Nas X had been promoting his eight-track EP Days Before Dreamboy, which previews the highly anticipated follow-up to his 2021 debut album, Montero.
Speaking to Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9 last month, he said the album had had a painful gestation.
“At the top of 2024… I feel like I was very lost and trying to cater to everybody except myself,” he said.
The Old Town Road rapper said he had started trying to cater to what he thought “the world wanted from me” – including the need “to be outrageous all the time”.
“But it’s like, no, sometimes I can just be on my chill [side],” he added.
Speaking at last month’s GLAAD Awards, the star added that he’d recently turned down the opportunity to collaborate with Taylor Swift.
“We were working on something,” he told E! News on the red carpet.
“She offered to let me try a verse on something, but I couldn’t catch a vibe for it, so it didn’t happen.”
What is Bell’s palsy?
Bell’s palsy is a sudden, temporary weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, usually on just one side of the face. It happens when the facial nerve — which controls movement of the face — gets inflamed, swollen or compressed.
The condition can come on overnight, making it look like the person has had a stroke. But unlike a stroke, Bell’s palsy only affects the face and isn’t life-threatening.
What causes Bell’s palsy?
While the exact cause is often unknown, Bell’s palsy can be brought on by viral infections like the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores; herpes zoster, which causes shingles and chickenpox; and the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mono.
Recent studies note an uptick in Bell’s palsy cases following the outbreak of COVID-19, suggesting a potential link between the two.
What are the symptoms?
The most obvious symptom of Bell’s palsy is a drooping appearance on one side of the face. Other symptoms include:
- – Inability to smile, blink or raise an eyebrow on one side
- – Drooling or dry mouth
- – Loss of taste
- – Tearing or dry eye
- – Pain behind the ear or around the jaw
- – Sensitivity to sound
Symptoms typically come on suddenly — sometimes within hours.
The good news is Bell’s palsy is not permanent, and most people fully recover within a few weeks to months.
Treatment often includes steroids, antiviral medication and physical therapy — as well as eye protection if the patient can’t blink properly.
A small number of people may have lingering effects, like slight facial weakness or muscle twitches.
In a rare number of severe cases, complications could lead to irreversible facial nerve damage and partial or complete blindness in one eye.
Bell’s palsy can affect anyone, but it’s most common in:
- – People aged 15 to 45
- – Pregnant women
- – People with diabetes or upper respiratory infections
- – People who have high blood pressure or obesity
Stress and immune system issues can also increase the risk.
