Dr. Dre’s Health: Everything To Know About His 2021 Brain Aneurysm & Recovery

Just over a year after he suffered a terrifying brain aneurysm, Dr. Dre will be taking the stage for the 2022 Super Bowl. Here’s everything we know about his health today.

Dr. Dre will be front and center on one of the world’s biggest stages when he performs at the 2022 Super Bowl on Feb. 13. The rapper will be joined by some of his closest friends in the industry — Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar — for a Halftime Show performance that is sure to be remembered. It’s almost impossible to believe that just 13 months ago, Dre suffered an apparent brain aneurysm that left him hospitalized for nearly two weeks. Luckily, Dre was able to recover from the terrifying medical scare. Learn more about it below:

What Happened To Dr. Dre?

On Jan. 5, 2021, it was reported that Dr. Dre had suffered a brain aneurysm and he was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California one day prior (Jan. 4). At the time, he was in the ICU and being tested to determine what started the bleeding in his brain. Just one day after he was hospitalized, Dre took to Instagram to assure fans that he was doing okay. He was also reported as being in “stable” condition as of Jan. 5, 2021.

“Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes,” Dr. Dre wrote. “I’m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars. One love!!” The optimistic message was a welcome relief for those who care about Dre.

After 11 days in the hospital, Dre was able to return home on Jan. 15, 2021. “Update: Just FaceTimed with Dr. Dre. He just made it home. Safe and looking good,” Dre’s friend, Ice-T, tweeted on Jan. 15. Dre’s attorney confirmed the news on Jan. 16.

How Is Dr. Dre’s Health After His Brain Aneurysm?

Dr. Dre seemed to recover incredibly well from the scare. In June 2021, he spoke about his medical situation for the first time, telling the Los Angeles times that he was “feeling fantastic” just five months after his hospitalization. He also used the interview as an opportunity to urge others to keep an eye on their health and get checked out by the doctor regularly.

“It’s a really weird thing, I’ve never had high blood pressure,” Dre explained. “And I’ve always been a person that has always taken care of my health. But there’s something that happens for some reason with Black men and high blood pressure, and I never saw that coming. But I’m taking care of myself. And I think every Black man should just check that out and make sure things are okay with the blood pressure. And I’m going to move on and hopefully live a long and healthy life. I’m feeling fantastic.”

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In May 2021, Dre also uploaded a photo of himself showing off his six-pack abs in the gym. “This is my COVID body,” he wrote. “I’m about to start getting my s*** together. Going in with @WillSmith. Let’s go!!!!”

What Happened To Dr. Dre’s Wife? 

Amidst all of this, Dre was in the midst of a divorce from his wife, Nicole Young. Nicole filed for divorce from Dr. Dre at the end of June 2020, just over six months before his hospitalization. The two had been married for 24 years and have two adult (over 18) children together (Dre also had seven other children from previous relationships, one of whom died in 2008).

Things got messy in Dre and Nicole’s divorce pretty quickly, as they apparently did not have a prenuptial agreement (although the two disagreed about this matter). In Sept. 2020, Nicole filed legal documents, requesting nearly $2 million a month in spousal support, in addition to $5 million to cover lawyer fees. In July 2021, it was determined that Dre would pay Nicole $3.5 million a year in spousal support, which comes out to a little less than $300,000 a month.

In Nicole’s court documents, she alleged that Dre had held a gun to her head on two occasions (in 2000 and 2001). She also claimed that the rapper allegedly got physical with her during an argument in 2016. However, Dre has denied “abusing [or] threatening” Nicole, stating that her accusations are “blatantly lies.”

At the end of 2021, Dre and Nicole finally reached a divorce settlement, with Dre being ordered to pay his ex $100 million. He gave her $50 million at the time, and is expected to cough up the other $50 million in Dec. 2022. Considering Dre is worth nearly $1 billion, this was a positive outcome for him. Even though Nicole previously contested that the two had a prenup, it was determined that the agreement did exist, which is why she did not receive half of his assets like she had initially asked for. The exes’ divorce had already been finalized at the time the settlement was confirmed.

Needless to say, Dre had a lot to deal with in 2021, but things are certainly off to a great start in 2022. Fans are anxiously waiting to see how things go at the Halftime Show. The Super Bowl starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC.