Lil Nas X just pulled off the most dramatic plot twist since the time he slid down a stripper pole into hell: his FACE decided to clock out early. Yep. The Grammy-winning icon is currently chilling in a hospital bed after half his face said, “And I oop—nope.”
The 26-year-old shared a video looking like he was halfway through a confused emoji transformation. He tried to smile, but instead looked like he was stuck halfway between “cheeky smirk” and “help me, I’m melting.”
“When I smile… this is me doing a FULL smile right now… like, what the f—k,” he said in the video, giving us the saddest yet most glamorous side-smile in recent history. “I can’t even laugh right, bro. What the f—k! Oh my god.”
He looked like he was trying to give a seductive wink and an allergic reaction at the same time. Give the man an Oscar AND a heating pad.
Of course, the internet doctors (a.k.a. Twitter MDs) immediately started diagnosing him in the comments. Actress Holly Robinson Peete dropped in like,
“Is it Bell’s Palsy? If so, that’s not funny. 😢 Hope you get better soon 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽.”
Thanks, Holly, queen of concern and emojis. 🙏🏽✨
In case you don’t know, the Mayo Clinic defines Bell’s Palsy as:
“When your face decides it’s over this 9-to-5 life and calls in sick. One side droops, the other is just vibing. Eye? Won’t close. Smile? One-sided. You? Confused.”
But don’t start planning a candlelight vigil yet—our glittery cowboy prince is doing fine.
He later posted to his Instagram Stories like,
“GUYS I AM OK!! Stop being sad for me! Shake ur ass for me instead!!”
(Legit the best medical advice we’ve ever received.)
He added, “Imma look funny for a lil bit but that’s it.”
So basically: he’s in recovery, the face is rebooting, and he’s still sassier than 99% of us on our best day.
Celebs rushed to send their digital hugs:
Taraji P. Henson: “Get well baby 🙏🏾”
Ledisi: “Get well soon! 🙏🏾”
Us: Googling facial exercises while twerking to “Montero.”
Moral of the story: If your face ever quits on you mid-smile, just remember—Lil Nas X did it first, did it fabulously, and still managed to trend while half-frowning.