Muni Long Makes BET Awards Appearance Following Double Lung Transplant

The 37-year-old artist made her way to the 2026 BET Awards held at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28, marking a notable public appearance as she recovers from major surgery. She brought Akeem Ali, who appears in her "Richest" music video, as her red carpet companion.

During her time at the event, Muni opened up about her current health status to The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm feeling good, as long as I do everything I'm supposed to do," she explained. "Make sure I take my mask everywhere, take hand sanitizer – it's really how we should all be – but I'll be a lot more cognizant of my surroundings, and what I'm eating, and things like that. It's actually a much more healthy lifestyle."

The artist's medical journey has been significant. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2014, Muni recently underwent a double lung transplant. She first publicly discussed the procedure during an appearance on Good Morning America the previous week, revealing the health complications that led to her departure from the 2025 The Boy is Mine tour alongside Brandy and Monica.

"I knew for a really long time that something was wrong," Muni shared about the period leading up to her transplant. "Every day I'm, like, spitting in cups and coughing all the time. Trying to take all these medicines to get through the day. With this industry, you're always in people's faces. So, I'm taking pictures, and I'm just huffing and puffing like I just ran a marathon."

The situation reached a critical point around Thanksgiving, when Muni was hospitalized and doctors informed her of the urgent need for the procedure. "My jaw dropped. Literally. I was like, 'That's rude.' But they were kind of like, 'This is not a joke. You need to make a choice. You can either go to hospice or you can get these lungs.'"