Muni Long Reveals Life-Threatening Health Battle, Double Lung Transplant

Grammy-winning singer Muni Long has shared details about a life-threatening health crisis that nearly ended her career, including a double lung transplant after doctors warned she had weeks to live without the procedure, according to a Good Morning America interview. The 37-year-old artist, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2014, revealed her condition worsened during a 2023 tour, leading to severe respiratory complications.

A Dire Diagnosis

Long disclosed she left Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine Tour” in late 2023 due to worsening health, per her GMA interview. She described battling pneumonia and chronic respiratory issues, which exacerbated her lupus, an autoimmune disease that can damage organs. After returning home for Thanksgiving, she was hospitalized and received a dire prognosis: a double lung transplant was her only option to survive.

“They were kind of like, ‘This is not a joke. You need to make a choice. You can either go to hospice or you can get these lungs,’” Long said. A Lupus Foundation of America spokesperson confirmed that severe lung involvement in lupus is rare but possible, often requiring interventions like transplants when other treatments fail.

Choosing Life Over Fear

Despite fears about how the surgery might affect her voice, Long opted for the transplant. “The ego and the vanity was just like, ‘But what about my voice? What’s going to happen?’” she said. “But then I look at my son, and I think about how much more life that I have to live.”

Double lung transplants carry risks, including organ rejection and infection, but can significantly improve quality of life for eligible patients, according to the Mayo Clinic. Long underwent vocal surgery during recovery and recently announced she is “asymptomatic” with no infections, per her GMA interview.

Recovery and Future Plans

Long, who released the single “The Riches” before her health crisis, has not yet set a return-to-performing timeline. “My voice now is totally different… but I don’t know that I can perform yet,” she said. Her representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Her story highlights the challenges of autoimmune diseases, which affect 5 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Long’s case underscores the importance of early intervention, as lupus can progress rapidly in some patients.