Doja Cat says she has to cancel upcoming shows due to health issues caused by vaping

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Singer Doja Cat, 26, revealed she underwent tonsil surgery after her throat became infected. (Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Singer Doja Cat, 26, revealed she underwent tonsil surgery after her throat became infected. (Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

Singer Doja Cat has canceled a series of performances due to her health problems.

On Friday, the "Say So" singer, 26, took to Twitter to share that she had to undergo "routine" surgery on her tonsils, which would force her to stop touring while she recovers from the procedure.

"Hi guys. I wanted you to hear it from me first. Unfortunately I have to have surgery on my tonsils asap. The surgery is routine but the recovery is going to take awhile due to swelling. That means I have to cancel my festival run this summer as well as The Weeknd tour," the singer wrote. "I feel horrible about this but can't wait for this to heal and get back to making music and create an appearance for y'all."

Doja Cat, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, released the statement just a day after she sent out a flurry of tweets describing her throat issues in graphic detail. On Thursday evening, she spoke candidly about her addiction to vaping, and the problems it was causing for her throat and tonsils.

“Dr. just had to cut into my left tonsil. i had an abscess in it. my whole throat is f***ed so i might have some bad news for yall coming soon,” she tweeted, alluding to her future cancellation of performances at Lollapalooza and beyond.

She continued, claiming that the reason her tonsils became infected is because she drank wine and vaped while on antibiotics.

"I started getting a nasty ass growth on my tonsil so they had to do surgery on it today," she explained. She shared that the doctor "poked up in [there] with a needle twice and then sucked all the juice out and then he took a sharp thing and cut it in two places and squoze all the goop out in dere. i cried and it hurt a lot but im ok."

When Twitter users replied regarding the artist's rampant vape use — including how she recently took a hit from her vape before she took the stage to accept her Billboard Music Award earlier this month — she revealed that she intends to stop.

"I'm quitting the vape for a while and hopefully i dont crave it anymore after that," Doja Cat said. Later, she added that she's "too scared to hit it cuz my throat hurts so bad. i cried for hours. its not worth it."

She continued, explaining her struggle to conquer her dependence on the vape.

"I'm addicted but I'm not weak. I was literally staring at my vape today that normally i'd hit a thousand times a day and hit it two times instead. I'ma try to go cold turkey for now but hopefully my brain doesn't need it at all by then," she wrote. When people criticized her hesitation to quit immediately, she explained "that doesn't help anybody and it just sounds condescending to anybody who's actually struggling w nicotine addiction."

Despite fielding criticism from her followers, Doja Cat did speak openly about how much it meant to her that people care.

"yall bout to make me cry with all the reassurance. i appreciate it. thanks for being supportive," she shared. "i love you."

While she was disappointed at having to cancel upcoming shows, Doja Cat has waffled on how much she loves some of the other aspects of the music business. In an Instagram Live last year, she explained that she feels "pressured" to do things that don't interest her. Instead, she just wants to "make music."

“And I mean make music like willy nilly, like just have fun and just jam and make some s***. I haven’t done that in maybe five years, feels like,” she said in the social media video, according to Complex. “I’m doing all this s*** that I don’t f***ing wanna do. I don’t wanna take f***ing pictures. Like, yes…planning a photoshoot is very fun. Capturing a concept, capturing a visual idea, like something like that, I love fashion, I do. I really do. I love to dress up, I love all that s***. Do I wanna do that s*** because I have to? No! No, I don’t.”