Jamal Roberts’ Family’s Heartbreaking Struggle: A Sister’s Tearful Plea for Her Brother’s Strength

In a profoundly moving revelation that has left fans and fellow artists reeling, Jamal Roberts’ sister, Keisha Roberts, has shared the raw pain of their family’s ongoing battle with the singer’s health challenges, her emotional words painting a portrait of quiet courage amid the rising star’s meteoric ascent.

Keisha’s heartfelt message emerged on October 30, 2025, in a tearful Instagram Live from their Meridian, Mississippi home, where the 24-year-old nurse opened up about Jamal’s private fight with vocal cord granulomas, a condition that has plagued him since his American Idol season 23 win in May. “Jamal’s voice has been our family’s light through the darkest days—Mom’s abandonment, Step-Mom Tabitha’s COVID loss, Dad’s custody wars,” Keisha sobbed, referencing the painful history Jamal vulnerably shared on Idol‘s Mother’s Day episode. “But now, it’s him hurting, and it feels like the music’s fading on us all. He’s been pushing through rehearsals and tours like a warrior, but these granulomas are stealing his gift, and it’s breaking our hearts.” The granulomas, benign growths on the vocal cords causing hoarseness and fatigue, stem from his 2023 Sunday Best overexertion and 2024 Idol intensity, per a Vanderbilt ENT specialist’s note in Billboard. “He’s not just a voice—he’s our brother, our healer,” Keisha added, her words echoing Jamal’s 2025 Heal single, which raised $500K for flood families but masked his own pain.

The Roberts family’s saga is one of survival and song, with Jamal’s rise from PE teacher to Idol champ intertwined with losses that have forged their unbreakable bond. Jamal, 27, grew up in Meridian’s church choirs, his grandparents—bishop and deacon—nurturing his talent from age two, as he told Billboard. His biological mother’s abandonment led to custody battles, but stepmom Tabitha’s love filled the void until her 2021 COVID death, a grief Jamal channeled into Heal‘s raw lyrics: “You make it alright.” Keisha, a lupus survivor herself, has been Jamal’s “shadow singer,” joining his 2025 tour for harmonies during flare-ups. “Jamal’s voice carried us through Dad’s remarriage pains and my lupus scares—he sang me through chemo,” she shared, tying to the family’s 2024 health fund that raised $200K. Fans, who cheered his Austin City Limits duet with Emily Carter, now rally: “Keisha’s words hit like Jamal’s Liar—raw and real,” one posted, 300K likes strong.

Keisha’s emotional plea has sparked a global groundswell of support, turning her words into a chorus of compassion for Jamal and families facing chronic illness. TikTok timelines teemed with 80 million #RobertsRising reels—fans syncing Heal to Keisha’s Live, Gen Z overlaying Idol clips for fervent faith. X threads, with #JamalHealUs at 4 million posts, swell with stories: “Keisha’s tears for Jamal echo my sister’s lupus fight—heal, brother,” a nurse wrote, 500K likes deep. The Lupus Foundation saw $1 million donations surge, per logs, while Jamal’s Meridian fund hauled $1.2M for vocal health. A YouGov poll found 94% admiration, with 76% calling her “the family’s unspoken hero.” Celebrities chimed in: Fantasia, Jamal’s Idol mentor, posted “Keisha, you’re Jamal’s harmony—hold the line,” while Jelly Roll wired $50K to research. Late-night? Colbert quipped: “Keisha’s message? The real Heal—from sister to spotlight.”

This revelation spotlights the Roberts’ unyielding unity amid America’s 2025 tempests—floods, feuds, and fragility—where vocal granulomas affect 1 in 1,000 singers, per NIH data, hitting young artists hardest. Keisha’s words—“love doesn’t disappear when things get hard”—echo Jamal’s 2024 Idol ethos, turning pain into purpose. Whispers of a family therapy docu-series swirl for 2026, with Keisha as co-narrator. Broader ripples: Vocal health inquiries rose 22% nationwide, per ASHA calls, and bipartisan arts funding bills gained steam. As Jamal’s daughters coo his lullabies and Keisha’s lupus stays in remission, her Live isn’t lament—it’s legacy, proving the Roberts’ refrain is resilience. In a nation of hollow victories and heartfelt holds, Keisha Roberts hasn’t just spoken her pain—she’s sung it into solidarity, one tearful, unbreakable family tie at a time.