Tragic Details About Jessie J's Life

From the outside, Jessie J's career looks like a series of smooth successes. A powerhouse performer with chart-topping hits and a strong voice she uses not just for music but also to connect with people across causes, it's hardly a surprise that she became a pop sensation upon entering showbiz in the 2010s. But behind the boss-babe reputation she is synonymous with lies a real woman whose life has been shaped by challenges that began long before she grabbed the spotlight. To begin with, health issues have plagued the English singer from a young age, with hospital visits and medicines taking up a huge chunk of her childhood and youth. "I've clearly got an addiction to being diagnosed with things," she joked to The Guardian. 

The fact that Jessie J can even attempt humor over her tragedies points to a rare kind of tenacity, considering the difficult cards she has been dealt at different junctures in her journey. Where fame brought her immense recognition, it also often invited unwarranted attention to her personal affairs, especially her love life. That is not to say that the "Who You Are" singer has ever shied away from being honest with the world about everything she goes through, whether it's accidents or diagnoses. She also let fans into her incredibly complex motherhood journey, all the way from her infertility to miscarriage and eventual pregnancy. Here are some tragic details from Jessie J's life and how the resilient singer faced each. 

Jessie J's childhood was about more than just school, music, and other pastimes regular kids engage with. The singer's early years were marked by hospital visits and medical treatments brought on by a heart condition. At the age of 11, when she had already begun her journey as a stage performer, Jessie J was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a disorder that affects electrical signals in the heart and can cause episodes of rapid heartbeat. "I was going in and out of rehearsals on an IV drip, and going back into hospital at night," she told The Guardian. This would be one of the first in a string of health issues that would pursue Jessie J. 

"I had wires put in my shoulder, groin and heart to try and zap it to a normal rhythm, but it didn't really work," she told Now Magazine (via Digital Spy). The condition and its associated symptoms, however, neither seemed to dampen Jessie J's spirits nor slow her progress as a young musician. From starring in the West End musical "Whistle Down the Wind" to attending the prestigious BRIT School for performing arts, she powered through despite health issues. Fortunately, she had ever-present support from her parents: "My mum and dad always did such a great job of not making that the definitive thing in my life ... That was amazing and has carried through to now." 

During her teenage years, Jessie J's health issues began to shape her social world, and rarely in kind ways. That she lived a life different from other children her age made her visibly stand out, often turning her into a target of bullying. On BBC Radio 1, she recalled a time when her heart medication gave her an unusual-looking green tint that led to people picking on her. Her health wasn't the only thing that drew attention. Jessie J's schoolmates also gave her a hard time because of her appearance, making it difficult for her to fit in, especially at an age when belonging feels important. "I had really big teeth, a big fringe. I was just uncomfortable in my skin." 

The bullying was so bad that kids "... used to throw stones at my head as I walked home from school," the singer revealed. A major health scare at 17 — a stroke that sent her to the hospital for several weeks — only compounded the challenges she was going through. The streak of misfortune left a justifiably deep imprint on the singer. "It had a massive impact on how I saw my life," she told WE Charity, explaining how her experiences as an outcast motivated her to pursue a career that spoke to those who felt punched down or discriminated against. 

Jessie J learned early in her career that being a showbiz artist sometimes comes with risks that can negatively impact mental health. The lesson came to her during a live show in 2011, when she was a relative newcomer in the industry and was likely still familiarizing herself with the theatrics of live shows. She was part of a gig called "Black Out," which apparently involved a segment that required her to perform with the lights turned down. "I asked them to turn on the lights and they didn't," Jessie J told Now Magazine. "I was on stage in pitch black and, because I couldn't see anything, I started to panic. It was awful." 

The "Price Tag" singer's cardiac issues have put her in a position of vulnerable health since childhood, something she said she needs to work hard to take care of. She noted that she lived a clean lifestyle devoid of indulgences like smoking, drinking, and other substances and was more than aware of safeguarding her physical well-being. Work on her mental health, meanwhile, was also an ongoing process for Jessie J, who said: "I used to get panic attacks really badly when I was younger. I don't like not being in control. I'm getting better though." 

Jessie J has long been subjected to intrusive scrutiny over her sexuality. Ever since she gained popularity in the 2010s and consequently became a person of interest for tabloids, her personal life has come under the radar just as much as her music. In 2011, she laid rumors about her sexuality to rest with a straightforward revelation on a radio show: "I've never denied it. Whoopie doo guys, yes, I've dated girls and I've dated boys. Get over it" (via Daily Express). Her statement did little to curb public interest in her private affairs, with the singer claiming that it had even driven people to pester her friends from school on social media in search of answers.

The story took an even more awkward turn when Jessie J eventually came forward to call her bisexuality "a phase." Her choice of words sparked outrage on the internet, but she refused to stand down in the face of criticism. In an infamously long 1,000-word social media post, Jessie J defended her statement, saying she had dated women in the past but was now only dating men. Years later, in 2025, she offered a clarification on the matter to The Guardian: "It wasn't me saying I'm not bisexual. I think I'm always going to be attracted to women ... but I don't want a label on it, like 'Jessie J the bisexual singer.'" 

When fans assembled at London's Royal Albert Hall for a night of Jessie J's electrifying music during her 2018 Rose Tour concert, they probably didn't expect to be met by a deeply personal (and moving) announcement from the singer. Right before launching into the song "Four Letter Word" — which carries a message of hope for motherhood – she told the audience that she was declared infertile four years ago, while emphasizing that her vulnerability wasn't an attempt to elicit sympathy. "I'm one of millions of women, and of men, that have gone through this and will go through this," she went on after her disclosure, videos of which went viral on social media (via The Independent). 

In a classic display of her tenacious approach to periods of adversity in life, of which there have been many, Jessie J gave her revelation an empowering spin. "It can't be something that defines us," the singer said, explaining that the genesis of "Four Letter Word" stemmed from that painful moment in her life when she was told she couldn't have kids. The song was to give herself "joy and give other people something that they can listen to in that moment when it gets really hard." The infertility diagnosis did little to dishearten Jessie J, who began turning her life around in a bid for better health and lifestyle choices that could lead her to motherhood, saying: "I believe in miracles. I haven't given up" (via People).

From the moment Jessie J and Channing Tatum were first linked in 2018, their relationship became a hot obsession. One a singer and one an actor, they were nothing short of a power couple, which brought an unsurprising amount of attention their way. It also helped that the pair did not shy away from publicly declaring their love for each other, especially on social media. Their feeds were filled with mushy dedications that even sometimes turned NSFW. (Remember that notorious nude image the "Magic Mike" star blessed his fans with after losing a game of Jenga to Jessie J?) The couple dated on and off over the next two years, eventually breaking up in 2020.

Both stars have since moved on in their lives; Tatum was briefly engaged to Zoe Kravitz, and Jessie J welcomed a child with Chanan Safir Colman. But that hasn't stopped rumor mills from looping back to their time together. In 2025, for instance, as Jessie J prepared to release her album "Don't Tease Me With a Good Time," several tracks sparked speculation about whether her past with Channing had inspired the songwriting. At an event in London, she reportedly introduced the song "Threw It Away" by saying: "This next song I wrote in 2020 ... and you can figure out who I was dating" (via The Sun). She later issued a clarification saying the song wasn't about her ex. 

In what could have been a life-altering event, Jessie J almost lost her voice following a serious car accident in 2020. The singer, who has been enthralling millions with her music for over a decade, took to social media two years after the traumatic incident to reflect on what was and what could have been. While details of the circumstances in which the accident happened were limited, Jessie J revealed that it left her with tissue and nerve damage, as well as a lot of pain and fatigue. "I honestly never thought I would tour again," she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post, which also mentioned that the episode caused a singing break for nine months (via Daily Mail). 

"I am grateful to my body and my voice that pulled through all these shows no problems, no issues," she continued. "I celebrate me in this moment." The unfortunate incident, which caused her larynx to dislocate, apparently coincided with the English artist's decision to release new music in 2020, she later revealed to The Guardian. The four-part album "R.O.S.E." was her last major release before the accident, and fans had to wait until 2021 to get new music from Jessie J, who made a banging comeback with the single "I Want Love." 

In late 2020, Jessie J faced yet another frightening health moment. On Christmas Eve, the "Bang Bang" singer woke up to discover she was having trouble hearing from her right ear. She felt "completely deaf," she said in an Instagram live session (via Business Insider), where she also detailed other worrying symptoms that affected her equilibrium and coordination. Even as she tried to sing, she had an odd sensation of "someone trying to run out of [her] ear," she noted (via the Los Angeles Times). At the hospital, she was told she was experiencing Meniere's disease, which John Hopkins Medicine describes as an inner ear condition that affects balance, hearing, and can cause vertigo. 

What would have been a thorny situation for any singer, Jessie J handled with her usual mix of heart-to-heart honesty and resilience. She gave fans an insight into her hospital-marked holiday season on social media and claimed to have found a community through her recovery process. "I know that a lot of people suffer from it, and I've actually had a lot of people reach out to me and give me great advice, so I've just been laying low in silence," (via ABC News), later adding that she had spoken up about this personal moment in her life to increase awareness about the condition. 

One of the most devastating chapters in Jessie J's life unfolded in 2021, when the English singer went through a miscarriage. The singer had chosen to pursue motherhood on her own and was preparing to have a baby when the pregnancy ended. "To get pregnant was a miracle in itself and an experience I will never forget and I know I will have again," she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post, sharing that it was during the third scan that she received the heartbreaking news (via BBC). She detailed the pain with her usual frankness, calling it "the loneliest feeling in the world," while also sending her heart out to others with complicated motherhood journeys. 

The ordeal did not stop her from going ahead with a show she was due to perform in Los Angeles the same day she found out that she had miscarried — a decision she later said was fueled by an unhealthy coping mechanism. Though she eventually had a successful pregnancy post-miscarriage and welcomed a baby boy named Sky in 2023 — getting what she told People was a "happy ending" — the loss remained key to Jessie J's motherhood story. In 2025, during a show in London, she reflected on the moment, which was also the inspiration behind her new song "Comes in Waves," telling the audience: "Today marks four years that I lost my baby ... It's something that you can't ever really prepare to go through." 

Jessie J always had an inkling that she experienced things in life differently from others. In 2024, she was finally able to put a name to that feeling when she was diagnosed with two conditions: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). "It's weird when you know you have been a little different and felt things differently your whole life, and finally one day when you least expect it, someone really explains why and you can't avoid it," she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post sharing her health update (via People). 

While the reality of her situation began getting clearer only after she became a mother, people around her weren't exactly surprised by her diagnosis. The singing sensation, whose reputation for relatability and candor on social media precedes her, went on to explain that she was taking her condition head-on and looking at it from an empowering perspective rather than a defensive one. "It has made me love myself even more," she said, recounting deeply personal anecdotes. "I'm hugging 11 year old me. Who would clean her trainers with a toothbrush when she was stressed and to this day has lived with a 1000 lists to not feel like life will crumble [sic]." 

Life dealt Jessie J a particularly difficult hand with a cancer diagnosis (here's how to cope when someone you love gets diagnosed) that the British singer shared with the world in 2025. "I was diagnosed with early breast cancer ... Cancer sucks in any form, but I'm holding on to the word early," she said in an Instagram video. "It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job. I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive t*ts and more music." Though the "Price Tag" hitmaker seemed to have kept her spirits up throughout this difficult disclosure, fans were immediately hit with a wave of sadness over the news, and messages of support poured in for her on the internet. 

True to form, Jessie J kept fans updated on her recovery throughout the year with testimonies on social media, giving her followers an honest glimpse into the highs and lows of living with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy months after her diagnosis in March, not letting the health scare bog her down. She even delayed her surgery by a bit so she could perform a show she had committed to — one last bang before being admitted to the hospital. "I knew doing the show was going to impact me personally, as Jessica," she told Women's Health. "There were 80,000 people cheering ... It was: we love you, we're behind you and we hope this goes well."