Toni Braxton Hospitalized: Lupus ‘Flare-Ups’ Are the Cause

Several hours after The BoomBox posted an interview with Tamar Braxton, news comes that her sister Toni Braxton is out of the hospital after experiencing a "flare-up" with lupus, which is the cause of her absence from a 'Braxton Family Values' press event Wednesday (Jan. 11).

The 'More Than a Woman' songstress spoke with TMZ upon her exit from a California hospital. Braxton wanted to clear the air about her recent struggle with the disease, which she had been battling publicly since 2010.

"I wanted to say thanks to all my fans for their support, as I have been experiencing some flare ups with my Lupus which has me in the hospital for a few days [sic]," the 'He Wasn't Man Enough' singer stated to TMZ.

As a woman in the public eye, both as an entertainer onstage and on reality TV, she felt it was necessary to address her recent health scare before tabloids blew the incident out of proportion. "I wanted to clear the record before rumors started, and will totally be fine as I'm blessed to having an amazing family for support," Braxton added.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. The disease may affect the skin, joints, kidneys and brain, among other organs, and causes chronic inflammation in those diagnosed with it.