Culture & Entertainment
Toni Braxton is an iconic American singer and songwriter who has touched the hearts of millions with her soulful voice. She burst onto the music scene in the '90s with popular ballads like "Un-break My Heart" and "Breathe Again" and hits like "He Wasn't Man Enough" and "You're Makin' Me High." Toni's voice is pure velvet, and her songs are a soundtrack to love and heartbreak during a time that was rich with R&B music staples. But she's not just a singing sensation; she's also a talented actress, author, and TV personality who received a bit of a resurgence with the popularity of Braxton Family Values and her relationship with Birdman later in her career.
Over the years, Toni has also been a spokesperson for lupus. The 56-year-old has been living with the most common form of lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Since her diagnosis in 2008, Toni has been very open about her battle with lupus and the complications that come with living with a chronic autoimmune disease. In a revealing exclusive with PEOPLE, the singer shared her experience of learning in late 2022 that she could have suffered a life-threatening heart attack because her "left main coronary artery was 80% blocked" after delaying some tests.
Toni recalled the discovery being a "traumatic moment for me" that left her in "shock." Toni had to undergo an emergency surgery where a stent was placed in her heart to keep the previously blocked passageway open. She was hospitalized for a few days, but it ultimately opened Toni's eyes to the importance of keeping up with tests even if they can be taxing, they are preventative. She explained to PEOPLE:
"I look at it like it was a blessing in disguise for me because now, putting off tests? Oh no, I will not put off tests.' If all I have to do for my lupus and my kidney health is pee in a cup, I can pee in a cup. How many times do you need me to pee? If all I gotta do is get my arm pricked for some blood? Oh yes, I can do that. How many vials do you need?"
Toni has thankfully recovered from her surgery and is taking things day by day health-wise. In terms of her advocacy work, she is continuing to spread the word as a spokesperson in the recent Get Uncomfortable with Lupus Nephritis campaign, about the downsides of living with lupus, and the ups because, as the mother of two says, "The glass is always half full."
It's no coincidence that it's October 7th, and you're seeing this article. In fact, October 7th just so happens to be Ms. Toni Michelle Braxton's bday. In honor of one of our favorite Libras birthdays and her commitment to keeping it real at every stage of her career, we have compiled a list of quotes by the entertainer that are just as iconic as she is.
"If I'm uncomfortable, you'd never know."
- Toni Braxton
“Some days, having lupus is like waking up with the flu. Every day my body aches, and I don’t always feel my best. But I have good days, so I take them and always try to be positive. I get up every morning and do what I have to do, because I have kids and a family to keep healthy for.”
- Toni Braxton on having lupus, ESSENCE
"I hate to even think about that decision I made. I believe in pro-choice. It was just a moment in my life that, with all the success I was blessed with, I guess that came with it."
- Toni Braxton on her decision to have an abortion in early 1999
"There are good days and bad days. I'm going to be honest, sometimes the bad days get me down. I'm not superwoman. I like to think I am. I like to feel like I'm that boss bitch all the time, but I'm also a human. When my body tells me to take it down and relax, I have to listen to it."
- Toni Braxton, PEOPLE
"Sad songs seem to work for me, but I don't want to be redundant; I want to add a little flavor."
- Toni Braxton
“When you’re younger, you care about everything – what they say, what they write, how they feel. You get a little older, you’re like, ‘you know what? I can’t worry about that today. I got to worry about what I think about myself.'”
- Toni Braxton on being more carefree in life, ESSENCE
"Although becoming a singer was my plan A after first hearing Whitney Houston when I was 17, I started off with plan B by going to the teacher-training college that my dad went to. It was a slow coming of age."
“It was perpetual guilt. Looking back, there were situations where I go: ‘You should have lived louder.’”
- Toni Braxton on the guilt she felt after achieving solo success, The Guardian
"Performing live is the greatest high in the world. That's why I do what I do."
- Toni Braxton
"I always felt this need to do my best immediately. The first album was done on purpose, you know, making me a little more adult contemporary. By the time the second album came around I wanted to be my age. I didn’t want to wear all these long gowns; I wanted to wear jeans or a catsuit."
- Toni Braxton on her career transitions as she grew as an artist, The Guardian
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Featured image by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Island Records
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