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Chili says her TLC sister T-Boz is still recovering from complications of her sickle cell disease while their massive tour continues.
During a recent performance at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, Rozonda "Chili" Thomas addressed Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' absence from the stage during their "It's Iconic Tour" with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue.
"Some of you may not know that my group member, T-Boz, has sickle cell disease,” Chili told the crowd on October 9. “Sometimes, you have a crisis, and she did this time. She’s taking the very necessary time she needs to get back to 100 percent.”
“I’m going to continue to hold it down for my sister,” she continued. “Tonight, I’m going to ask each and every one of you to help me hold it down for her.”
TLC, En Vogue, and Salt-N-Pepa announced the tour earlier this year. All three groups gave fans a taste of their joint performances during the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards before hitting the road for the 34-city trek around the U.S. T-Boz was present for the first few weeks of the tour, but fans noticed her absence after TLC's manager, Bill Diggins, announced that the singer was hospitalized due to her disease.
“When she experiences a sickle cell crisis, the recovery period can vary and may take days or weeks,” Diggins said at the time. “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.”
T-Boz has been open about her sickle cell anemia over the past few years. She previously explained that she was diagnosed with the disease when she was born and dealt with the complications all of her life. In 2024, she spoke to The Breakfast Club after TLC was forced to cancel two shows due to issues that had nothing to do with her disease. At the time, she also revealed that she planned to retire from touring because it's getting harder for her to perform live.
The "It's Iconic Tour" wrapped up in Concord, Calif., last night.