The surviving members of TLC—Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas—were forced to cancel their shows this weekend after T-Boz was hospitalized. Although they initially suspected it was food poisoning, it wound up being much more serious.
On Saturday (August 24), TCL shared a statement to their Instagram account explaining what happened. It reads in part, “After delivering an electrifying performance in Toledo, Ohio on Thursday, TLC was eagerly anticipating their next stop at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. However, shortly after arriving in Syracuse, Tionne ’T-Boz’ Watkins experienced sudden and severe nausea, vomiting and intense abdominal cramps. She was immediately seen by a doctor and subsequently taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
“Last evening, Tionne was diagnosed with severe abdominal blockage, necessitating the cancellation of both the Syracuse and Foxwoods performances. She remains in the hospital under medical supervision but is expected to be released tomorrow. The doctor verified this was not food poisoning but an abdominal blockage.”
The statement went on to say how deeply T-Boz regrets having to cancel the shows and that she’ll reschedule as soon as possible.
T-Boz has been living with sickle cell anemia, a hereditary blood disorder, since birth. Sickle cell anemia causes red blood cells to become rigid and shaped like a sickle, leading to various health complications, including pain, infections and organ damage. Despite the challenges of this condition, T-Boz has been open about her experiences and has become an advocate for awareness and support for those affected by the disease.
TLC is one of the best-selling girl groups of all time and originally consisted of T-Boz, Chilli and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. Their albums, including CrazySexyCool and FanMail, produced hits like “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs” and “Creep,” solidifying their place in music history.
The group faced a devastating loss on April 25, 2002, when Left Eye died in a car accident while on a spiritual retreat in Honduras. Despite this loss, TLC has continued to honor Left Eye’s legacy and her influence remains integral to their identity.