TLC Issue Statement After T-Boz Misses Dates on It’s Iconic Tour Due to ‘Sickle Cell Crisis’: ‘Her Health

In the meantime, bandmate Chilli has been performing the group's songs on her own until Watkins is cleared to rejoin the tour.

TLC’s Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins has been noticeably absent on several recent dates of the It’s Iconic tour due to what the group said was an acute “sickle cell crisis” that sent the 56-year-old rapper to the hospital.

On Thursday (Sept. 3), TLC addressed the missed gigs in a statement on Twitter, writing, “We want to thank everyone who has reached out with prayers, love, and concern for Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins,” it read.

TLC is on the road this summer on the It’s Iconic tour with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue. Fellow original TLC bandmate Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas — third member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes died in a car crash in April 2002 — addressed T-Boz’s absence during an Aug.

A group spokesperson told USA Today in a statement that T-Boz was recently hospitalized and is recovering and “regaining her strength … Because the It’s Iconic Tour is such an interactive show, we made the decision to continue, with Chilli performing and receiving incredible support from Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, and most importantly, the fans.”.

The X statement from the group continued, “Her health and recovery remain our highest priority. Tionne looks forward to returning to the tour when she is fully recovered and medically cleared to perform,” also noting that Chilli will soldier on performing on the remaining dates until T-Boz can rejoin the outing.

The message also mentioned that September is sickle cell awareness month, with the group asking fans to stand with that community and learn more about the disease or give blood if you are able; for more information on sickle cell disease click here.

The next stop on the It’s Iconic tour is on Tuesday (Sept. 8) at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago; the tour is currently slated to wrap up on Oct.

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