Queen Latifah isn't allowing any death hoaxes to linger. After a rumor swirled on the internet earlier this week that the Equalizer actress had passed away, she swiftly shut down the report by confirming she's alive and well.
"Good morning. It's me, Latifah," the 55-year-old said in a video shared to her Instagram on March 5. "I'm 100% A-OK." She blew a kiss to the camera before adding, "You can't believe everything you read on the internet or see. Can't believe anything now, right? I'm good. Peace."
Although she isn't currently battling any health issues, Queen Latifah (real name Dana Elaine Owens) has been vocal about her desire to lead a healthy lifestyle. In fact, the rapper—who shares son Rebel with longtime partner Eboni Nichols—previously revealed that she had to make some changes to stay in tip-top shape.
"There were certain ways I wanted to feel—if I wanted to feel healthier, get in shape, drop some pounds, get stronger—there were changes I had to make," the "U.N.I.T.Y." singer told The Healthy last June. "I'm also someone who needed to learn about health."
"There were certain habits I had growing up that were normal in my family that I had to retrain myself from—cutting back on salt, for instance," she explained. "Salty foods were a normal thing. And when I moved to [Los Angeles] to do Living Single at 23 years old, I began to eat differently."
The Grammy winner's decision to make lifestyle changes was also inspired by her family's struggle with cardiovascular disease and obesity. As she put it, "Watching it affect my own family has been difficult. Losing family members to the effects of obesity is really tough. I know how important it can be when someone takes a new approach to their health and how much it can impact others in a positive way."
As she continues to prioritize her heart health and eating habits, Queen Latifah is also consistent with other self-care practices. "I think baths are one of the things I definitely have to do, because I do a lot of really physical work—I have, at least for the last five years—and I need them to reset," she shared. "Walking is very important to me, just to clear my head, get the endorphins going, make myself feel happier."
Meditation and prayer are also on her list of must-dos. "I've got to stop and pray. And when I start to pray, I realize I talk myself into releasing all the things that are not in my control, and that helps me calm down," she said. "There's freedom in not trying to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. Just knowing: it's going to be OK. The sun's going to rise tomorrow."
