Muni Long is out of Monica and Brandy’s “The Boy is Mine” tour. The “Made For Me” singer announced on social media yesterday that she would no longer be performing as an opener because of her health.
“As many of you know, I’ve been battling some health issues throughout The Boy Is Mine Tour,” she wrote on Instagram. “Despite doing everything I can to push through, my doctors have made it clear that it’s not safe for me to continue with the remaining dates of the tour.”
Long, whose name is Priscilla Renea Hamilton, has been open about her struggle with lupus, which is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues. The illness disproportionally affects Black women.
“Lupus really be having EVERYTHING hurting,” Long posted on Threads in August. “Like bro how tf I got on tights and they are hurting the skin on my legs. Like it’s throbbing down my leg. I didn’t even know that was possible. Sometimes it hurts to have clothes on. And this is almost everyday I gotta deal with this. And people? It’s tew much.”
Early this year, she also canceled a show, writing on X that “Lupus does not announce when it will flare up.” She told People more about how she experiences symptoms.
“[People with lupus] have little signs, right? Like my fingertips will start turning blue. My skin will get really pale,” Long said to People. “I’ll start looking super white. Which is hard to imagine because I’m brown-skinned. But literally my skin will turn like a light, ashy color.”
“The Boy is Mine” tour began in October and featured Long, Kelly Rowland, Coco Jones, and Jamal Roberts as openers. Long first posted that she had pneumonia on October 25, which led to her canceling her appearances in Chicago and Kansas City. Mya filled in for Long for those dates, and then was brought on as an opener for the tour’s stops in Memphis, Atlanta, Greensboro, and Baltimore while Long was recovering.
Now that Long has officially bowed out, the official Instagram for the tour posted on its page, confirming the decision and announcing its plans going forward. According to the statement, the tour and its remaining dates will continue as scheduled. No plans for a replacement were announced in the post.
“Muni has been phenomenal throughout this tour, her voice, her presence, and her energy brought something truly unforgettable to every city we visited,” the statement said. “We are deeply grateful for all she gave, and we fully support her decision to put her health first. Please join us in sending Muni love, strength, and healing energy as she takes the time she needs to recover.”
Source: theGrio
