Toni Braxton Feels 'Anxiety' About Her Lupus Flaring Up at Vegas Residency: 'Doctor Said I'm Ready' (Exclusive)

Toni Braxton feels ready to perform, but it’s hard to know when her body will have other plans.

The Grammy-winning R&B icon, who was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 2008, is in the midst of her Love & Laughter residency with Cedric the Entertainer in Las Vegas, her first string of shows since undergoing emergency heart surgery in 2022.

“I felt good, it was anxiety, I just made sure I was ready,” Braxton, 56, tells PEOPLE. “My doctor said I’m ready to go. They checked me, everything’s fine, but there’s a little anxiety about the performance and a health scare. But the man upstairs said everything’s going to be fine, so I know I’m going to be fine .”

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Toni Braxton and Cedric the Entertainer in Las Vegas on April 27, 2024.

Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Chelsea at Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Coincidentally, the “Un-Break My Heart” singer learned after agreeing to a seven-day residency at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas that Cedric’s late mother, Rosetta, also had lupus.

“It was something I was very aware of. I was just reassuring Toni like, ‘Look, I’ve got your back. We’re going to have a good time, don’t worry about it,'” says the comedian, 60.

“I had no idea his mom had lupus,” Braxton says. “I said, ‘Oh my God,’ and he’s so compassionate and understanding when I’m tired.” [Fatigue is a common symptom of SLE, which causes inflammation that can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.]

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Toni Braxton and Cedric the Entertainer.

Ivan Duncan

Considering Braxton Family Values star’s medical history, she has learned to manage her health and what precautions she needs to take to do so. But at the end of the day, she’s human too.

“You know what? I don’t always eat well because I’m a burger girl, so I’m not going to sit here and lie and say, ‘Oh, I eat really well.’ I try to eat as healthy as possible, especially when I’m working, I try to be disciplined, but I have to eat those burgers and stuff,” Braxton says.

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Toni Braxton performs in Las Vegas on April 27, 2024.

Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Chelsea at Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

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“I just try to get the pace. The pace is very important, and if I feel like I’m overdoing it, I know how to take a break. Sometimes that’s hard to do. You don’t recognize when you’re stressed a little or too much, so I just know how to time it and then everything’s fine,” he adds “He Wasn’t Man Enough” musician.

After launching on April 27, Love and Laughter continues through July. Braxton previously told PEOPLE that the residency will combine her singing talent and Cedric’s comedic skills as a throwback to live variety shows.

“They’re going to watch a show like Sonny and Cher or Donny and Marie,” she teased.

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Source: HIS Education