The musician's concerning appearance onstage came just weeks after he was reportedly hospitalized with life-threatening pneumonia.
Ray J and his team are pushing back against claims he applied fake blood to his face during a recent performance to get a rise out of fans after a life-threatening illness.
Footage of Ray J's Valentine's Day concert at Louisiana's Shreveport Municipal Auditorium shows what appears to be blood dripping from his eyes from underneath a pair of sunglasses. At one point during the show, the singer and former reality TV star removes his shirt to reveal a heart monitor strapped to his chest.
"We all know that Ray J has been under the weather," manager Melinda Santiago told People Tuesday. "But all my artists that work with me gotta do their job whether they are bleeding or not."
Santiago's comments were a stark contrast to those of photographer Tommy Nard II, who said the blood that dripped from Ray J's eyes at the show was "all theatrical."
"He loves the attention," Nard II told local NBC affiliate KTAL 6. "I [saw] him literally put on the fake blood and things like that, and go out there with the crowd, which is very shocking that he'd do something like that."
Santiago rejected Nard II's claims in a statement issued to People Wednesday, telling the outlet: "The bottom line is Ray J has been in and out of the hospital dealing with health and heart issues. That is a fact. Another fact is that the meds that Ray is on have some side effects."
She went on to suggest Nard II’s remarks were an attempt "to clout chase for five min of fame" by using her client's name, adding: "My job is to protect my artists backstage from opportunistic people. If we can't do that, then I'll be cutting off all backstage access moving forward."
Ray J, who is the younger brother of fellow R&B musician Brandy, shared on social media last month that he'd "almost died" from a severe case of pneumonia that required him to be hospitalized.
Since then, he's continued to share concerning updates about his health, blaming his recent issues on his years of drug and alcohol use. Still, he's forged ahead with his music career, despite revealing in a January livestream that his doctor had told him, "2027 is definitely a wrap for me."
In an interview with New York's "The Breakfast Club" radio show Thursday, Ray J suggested Nard II had been simply "trying to make it lighter and make it cool," but offered no further clarification on his health.
Prior to his hospitalization, Ray J had been making headlines regarding his relationship with his estranged wife, Princess Love, with whom he shares two children. Last year, he was arrested for allegedly pulling a gun on his spouse, after which he was served with a protective order.
Earlier this month, People reported Princess Love had amended the protective order. In his "Breakfast Club" chat, Ray J claimed Princess Love had been "crying every day" with regard to his health issues.