DMX family, attorney say he’s ‘facing serious health issues,’ in coma after heart attack

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DMX’s family spoke out about the rapper’s condition after he was hospitalized and fell into a coma over the weekend. 

The 50-year-old rapper’s family issued a brief statement about his condition while announcing that a prayer vigil will take place on Monday outside the New York hospital where he remains on life support after suffering a heart attack. 

"On Friday night, April 2nd, 2021, our brother, son, father, and colleague DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, was admitted to White Plains (NY) Hospital, facing serious health issues," the family said through a publicist. "We ask that you please keep Earl/DMX and us in your thoughts, wishes, and prayers as well as respect our privacy as we face these challenges."

Another statement released Sunday afternoon said the rapper remained in a coma and was on a ventilator.

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Rapper DMX's family issued a statement about his condition following hospitalization. (Streeter Lecka/BIG3/Getty Images)

Simmons' longtime lawyer, Murray Richman, said the rapper was admitted to the intensive care unit at White Plains Hospital after going into cardiac arrest. Richman said he could not confirm reports that DMX, 50, overdosed on drugs and was not sure what caused the heart attack.

"He is truly an amazing person," Richman told The New York Times. "He walked into a room, he lit up the room. He couldn’t help making you feel good in his presence."

In a separate interview with New York’s PIX11 News, Richman noted that he is "worried" about the rapper’s current condition. 

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DMX’s former manager, Nakia Walker, told Buzzfeed News that the musician is in a "vegetative state" and is suffering from "lung and brain failure." 

Representatives for DMX did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment. 

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Sources initially reported to TMZ that DMX had suffered his heart attack as a result of a drug overdose. However, that has yet to be confirmed. The "Party Up (Up in Here)" rapper is known to have previously battled substance abuse. The report states he last completed rehab in 2019 after serving a one-year prison sentence for tax evasion. At the time, the rapper claimed the rehab stint was not a result of a relapse and instead was a preventative measure.

Stars Missy Elliot and Viola Davis were among the first celebrities to react to the news on social media.

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"Prayers for DMX and his family," Elliot wrote. 

Davis also tweeted that she was "praying for DMX."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.