Jamaican music icon Spice (real name Grace Latoya Hamilton) has opened up about a frightening health crisis that nearly cost her life — and the emotional and spiritual journey that followed.
In an exclusive People interview, the 43-year-old Grammy-nominated artist described falling seriously ill in the Dominican Republic in 2022, when a ruptured hernia triggered sepsis, a life-threatening infection that spread throughout her body and attacked her lungs, liver and organs. At one point, Spice’s condition deteriorated so badly that doctors reportedly began preparing her loved ones for the worst.
“I had to do an emergency surgery to perform a hernia repair,” Spice told People. “They had to cut my body open from top down … The sepsis was attacking my lungs and my organs … my body was becoming poisonous.”
Over the ensuing months, Spice underwent seven major surgeries, with the final procedure occurring in 2024, as her medical team fought to save her life. Despite extensive tissue damage and early expectations that she would require skin grafts, her skin reportedly healed naturally — a result Spice described as nothing short of miraculous.
During her recovery, she credits the support of her family and her faith in God with helping sustain her through the ordeal. While hospitalized, Spice recalls hearing the gospel song “You’re Bigger” — a moment she says brought her strength and comfort during her darkest hours.
The near-death experience had a profound impact on the artist’s spiritual outlook and her creative direction. It inspired her latest gospel music release, “God Don’t Play About Me,” which she frames as both a personal testimony and a message of hope for her fans. Spice said the trial has deepened her relationship with God and her commitment to worship — influencing not just her music but her daily life and approach to her platform.
Now living in Atlanta with her two children, Nicholas and Nicholatoy, Spice says her recovery has enabled her to regain her health and focus on sharing her spiritual message with a broad audience.
Her journey from near-fatal illness to renewed creative spirit highlights the intersection of hardship, belief and artistic expression in her evolving career.
