Toni Braxton has opened up about the “scary” heart surgery she had to undergo to save her life, but is grateful that she went through it.
On Wednesday (April 26), the R&B star spoke with TMZ in New York City about how she’s feeling in the wake of having to undergo emergency heart surgery last September.
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The surgery occurred after doctors discovered an 80 percent blockage in her main coronary artery, which could have led to a fatal heart attack. She also spoke a bit about the recent death of her sister Traci Braxton, who passed away last year from esophageal cancer at 50 years old.
“I am much better,” she said of her health issues. “You know what I’m still working on it because it’s only been six months, but it’s better and better every day. That’s why I’m here so I can talk to people. I was so scared, it was one of the scariest moments of my life.”
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Braxton went on to say that she can’t tour right now because she’s still in recovery, but that she’s on her way to getting back on the road. “By the time I go on tour I will be ready,” she said. “I’m in the studio right now slower, but I’m excited to be here in the world.”
Braxton continued: “Your body always talks to you. I felt sad because my sister Traci passed so I wasn’t paying any attention to it. Listen to your body, never deny it.”
Following Traci’s passing, the Braxton family released a statement to speak on her legacy.
“It is with the utmost regret that we inform you of the passing of our sister, Traci,” the statement reads. “Needless to say, she was a bright light, a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and a respected performer. We will miss her dearly. Traci passed this morning as the snow was falling, our angel is now a snowflake. We ask that you respect our privacy as we plan to send her home with love, celebrating her life.”
As part of the famed Braxton singers alongside older sister Toni and younger sisters Towanda, Trina, and Tamar, the sibling quintet released their only single, “Good Life” in 1989 but reunited for a reality series, Braxton Family Values, in 2011. Together, they would release a 2015 Christmas album titled Braxton Family Christmas.
Traci would then go on to have a successful solo career, starting in 2014 with Crash & Burn featuring the single “Last Call.” She would follow it up with her 2018 project On Earth featuring “Broken Things” with her sisters, Toni, Towanda and Trina.
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As for Toni, her health issues are no secret. The “Un-Break My Heart” crooner was previously hospitalized in Cleveland back in 2016 for complications stemming from Lupus and was forced to cancel an upcoming performance in the city.
