Husband says ‘American Idol’ alum is ‘felling stronger’ but ‘not out of the woods’
Grammy Award-winning singer Tori Kelly is recovering in the hospital after collapsing from blood clots, and Pastor Greg Laurie joined the singer’s millions of fans to call for prayer.
As TMZ first reported, the singer, a professing Christian, is “currently hospitalized and getting treatment for blood clots around her vital organs.”
The “American Idol” alum was reportedly at dinner with friends Sunday night in downtown Los Angeles and started to feel her heart rate increase. She reportedly fainted shortly after.
Citing sources close to Kelly, TMZ reported that the 30-year-old performer had passed “out for a while.”
Her friends drove her to a hospital for treatment. In the ICU, physicians allegedly discovered blood clots around her leg and lungs and were searching for clots around her heart.
On Wednesday, Kelly’s husband, André Murillo, posted an update on social media, saying that Kelly was “feeling stronger.”
“Tori is smiling again and feeling stronger,” read white text against a black screen on Murillo’s Instagram Stories, according to People. “Not out of the woods but we see the sun. Just waiting on a few more answers.”
On Tuesday, megachurch pastor and Kelly’s friend Greg Laurie repeated TMZ’s claim of hospitalization on social media. The senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship joined the thousands of people online praying for Kelly’s recovery.
“Let’s all be praying for @torikelly She is in the hospital due to blot clots. They say it’s serious,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Tori is a believer in Jesus Christ and I know she and her family will appreciate your prayers for her,” he added.
Let’s all be praying for @torikelly
She is in the hospital due to blot clots. They say it’s serious. Tori is a believer in Jesus Christ and I know she and her family will appreciate your prayers for her.Here’s a video of an interview I did with Tori a few years ago on Easter. pic.twitter.com/TXMUzIPzsf
— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) July 25, 2023
Kelly released a gospel album, Hiding Place, in 2018. The album was co-written with gospel pioneer Kirk Franklin and quickly climbed the charts, earning the singer a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance/Song.
As reported by The Christian Post, Kelly holds fast to the scripture from the Bible. In an exclusive interview with YouVersion, the California native opened up about the role God’s Word plays in her life.
“My faith is everything to me! I did grow up in the Church, but I think maybe, like some other people who grow up in the Church, you kind of get to a point where your faith really becomes your own, and it’s not about what your parents say or what they believe,” Kelly said. “It’s really like, ‘Oh no, this is real to me. I have experienced the presence of God, and I know that this is my own faith.'”
In a sit-down with “I Am Second” in 2018, Kelly gave fans a deeper look into her faith.
The songstress testified in the popular White Chair Films series of how Jesus helped her find her identity after years of comparing herself to others because she didn’t fit into the personality type of a typical singer.
In a message to her 12-year-old self, Kelly said: “One day you’re going to grow into your own skin and be the girl that God uniquely made as you. And you don’t have to compare yourself to anybody. … I didn’t have to change myself; I can just be myself.”
Once she “surrendered” to God, the doors began to open. She named Philippians 3:7–8 her life scripture: “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”
Jeannie Ortega Law is a reporter for The Christian Post. Reach her at: jeannie.law@christianpost.com She’s also the author of the book, What Is Happening to Me? How to Defeat Your Unseen Enemy Follow her on Twitter: @jlawcp Facebook: JeannieOMusic
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