Who was Rolling Ray’s boyfriend? All about the social media star’s personal life as he reportedly dies at 28

Social media star, rapper, and reality TV personality Rolling Ray reportedly passed away recently, aged 28, according to Marca and lovebscott.com. His mother, Shazola Nay, took to her private Facebook account on September 3 and seemingly shared the news.

“It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that my son Ray Ray @iamrollingray has gone home to be with the Lord. I thank everyone who has called or texted, this is going to be a long road… Please pray for us as we push forward to let him rest… Only God knows [five broken heart emojis],” she wrote.

According to lovebscott.com, Rolling Ray’s cousin, Coolest Kishia, also took to Facebook and shared that she was “heartbroken” to have lost her “favorite person.”

Rolling Ray, whose real name was Raymond Harper, had a boyfriend named Roland. He confirmed his relationship in December 2021 after eight months of dating, according to The Shade Room. They split in July 2023.

So far, the details surrounding Ray’s reported demise remain undisclosed. However, he had battled various health issues over the years, such as a fire accident in 2021, COVID-19 and coma in 2022, and pneumonia and blood infection in 2024, as per Marca.

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Exploring the life and career of Rolling Ray

Rolling Ray was born on September 5, 1996. He was a content creator, influencer, rapper, and reality TV star, best known for his appearance in the 2018 MTV series, Catfish: Trolls, alongside Charlamagne Tha God. He also gave the internet the viral “purr” catchphrase and appeared in Bobby I Love U and Purr.

Ray will also be remembered for his quick one-liners and music. He had over 460,000 followers on Instagram, according to Famous Birthdays. Harper appeared on an episode of Divorce Court and teamed up with fellow influencer King Bobbi at an event in California.

Rolling Ray had been paralyzed since childhood and was wheelchair-bound throughout his life. He rose to fame with his 2018 single, Snatched My Wig.

In late 2021, Ray went official with his boyfriend, Roland, via an Instagram post, which was captioned,

“That Virgo & Pisces! Thank you for coming out. I’ve been hiding you for over 8 months, MEET ROLLING & ROLAND.”

Later, he also shared a video of himself and Roland at the airport on their way to Hollywood. They were seen getting cozy on camera, The Shade Room reported at the time. In March 2022, when Rolling Ray was diagnosed with coronavirus, Roland hopped on to an Instagram Live to dismiss death rumors and shared that his boyfriend was “fine.”

Before that, in January of that year, Ray himself shared he was down with COVID-19, which “almost took me out,” adding he would respond to everyone when he had fully recovered.

Cardi B, too, weighed in around that time and asked where the social media star was, adding, “I miss him.” In April, Harper returned to social media to announce he was alive and well, and refuted the death hoax, adding he was in a coma for a while.

Less than two years later, in July 2025, The Shade Room reposted Rolling Ray’s Instagram post where he announced he was “officially single” and was not getting back with Roland.

At the time, Harper explained that neither of them cheated, but they just hit a “rough” patch. Ray called Roland his “best friend” and “protector” but said that their efforts to “rekindle” their romance didn’t work out, as there was “too much dirty laundry to wash at once.”

“Breakups are never easy. But I’d never publicly down-talk this man. Our love was too deep for that… Goodbye, Roland. Thank u for loving me & being there to save my life during COV,” Raymond stated.

He announced he was “single and ready to mingle” and thanked fans for supporting his relationship while it lasted. Rolling Ray explained that his social media hiatus was because of his split from Roland, as he needed to reset, emotionally and mentally.

“Cheers to new beginnings & my upcoming era. I owe my fans so much, but most importantly, I owe myself & my brand the most. I hope my new boyfriend, whomever he is, shows me uh good time, because I’m about to wake ‘em up!” he concluded, sharing it was a new era of music, money, and looks.

Last year in May, Rolling Ray shared he ended up in the ICU with respiratory issues, pneumonia, and a blood infection. However, ahead of his 28th birthday, he shared in late August of 2024 that he had recovered thanks to his new “best friend” Vonnie, his elder sister Danyelle, @thehoodrichbarbie, @diggmulann, and a person named Mr. Scorpio.

Back then, celebrities including Lil’ Kim, Sukihana, and Bobby Lytes sent their best wishes for Rolling Ray.