Lil Nas X Improving After Being Hospitalized for Partial Facial Paralysis

The Grammy-award winning artist has regained some muscle movement, after losing control of the right side of his face.

Lil Nas X attends the premiere of "White Men Can't Jump" at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on May 11, 2023. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios

Grammy Award-winning artist Lil Nas X is on the road to recovery after being hospitalized for experiencing partial paralysis in his face.

In an update shared on his now-deleted Instagram stories, the 26-year-old, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, filmed himself chewing a piece of gum in an effort to improve his symptoms.

“I’ve been chewing a lot so I can get this muscle strong,” he told his followers on April 15.

“It’s much better, it’s much better. My eye still has to play catch-up, but I can give a genuine smile, so that’s good.”

The “Old Town Road” rapper filmed himself from a hospital bed earlier this week, opening up about the medical scare and writing on Instagram that he “lost control” of the right side of his face.

“This is me doing a full smile right now by the way,” he said, laughing in the video.

“It’s like, what the [expletive]? I can’t even laugh right bro.”

The musician, whose music first went viral on TikTok, reassured fans that he is getting better and did not want anyone to feel “sad” for him.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, facial paralysis occurs as a result of nerve damage and causes the inability to move the muscles on one or both sides of your face.

Patients with facial paralysis experience weakness, droopiness, and a loss of facial movement.

While it’s unclear what led to the singer’s partial paralysis, there are numerous possible causes of the condition, including Bell’s palsy, inflammation, trauma, stroke, and tumors.

Other celebrities, such as Justin Bieber, Bristol Palin, and NBA star Joel Embiid, have also opened up about their own experiences with facial paralysis.

Earlier this year, Palin, the daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, explained how she is coping with the condition after suffering from vision impairment as well as loss of feeling and delayed movement in her face.

In 2024, Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Embiid revealed his Bell’s palsy diagnosis that stemmed from severe headaches and impacted the left side of his face, mouth, and eye.

According to the National Institutes of Health, Bell’s palsy is the most common type of facial paralysis and occurs when a nerve that controls facial muscles becomes inflamed, injured, or stops working properly.

Another form of facial paralysis can be caused by Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which, although it is rare, led to Bieber’s postponing several of his shows during the “Justice World Tour” in 2022 after his diagnosis.

“I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on,” he told Instagram followers at the time.

“Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome and it is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis.”

Treatment for facial paralysis varies depending on the exact cause; however, several approaches can improve symptoms, including physical therapy, medication, and surgical options.